Avion Issue 7 Fall 2019

Issue 7 | Volume 152 | November 11, 2019

A B C D

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University theavion.com | (386) 226-6049

Campus Industry & Technology Sports Motorsports

WELCOME TO THE NEOTHEATER

Zach Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper

THE AVION

A2 Student Life

Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Business Manager Photo Editor

Rajan Khanna Vipul Telang Nick Hernandez Payton Muglia Connor Adair

Building LEGOs to raise money for Habitat for Humanity Oliver Du Bois Copy Editor

Page Editors Cover Editor Rajan Khanna Campus Editors Vipul Telang Nick Hernandez Zach Fedewa Kevin Ratzel Industry Editors Vipul Telang Victoria Jordan Payton Muglia Sports Editors Connor Adair Samantha Stirmel Vipul Telang Motorsports Editor Vipul Telang Comics Editor Payton Muglia Copy Editor Oliver Du Bois

Contributors

Reporters Photographers

Vipul Telang Mike Shekari Henry Neiberlien Oliver Du Bois Nick Hernandez Korbin Martin Victoria Jordan Caleigh Bocrie

Building Block Party

Vipul Telang Mike Shekari Henry Neiberlien Zach Fedewa Korbin Martin Alani Seaman

Correspondents

David Keck, Christina Frederick, Brendan Rohan, Miguel Moore, Samantha Blizzard, Alexis Feinman, Micaiah Pruett, Kevin Ratzel, Jason Hunt, Joshua Rosado

Staff Advisor Ronnie Mack Asst. Director, Media & Marketing

Contact Information Main Phone: (386) 226-6049 Business Manager: (386) 226-7697 Editor-In-Chief: editor@theavion.com Managing Editor: managing@theavion.com News Editor: news@theavion.com Business Manager: business@theavion.com Photo Editor: photo@theavion.com

Website: theavion.com @theavionnewspaper u/theavionnewspaper @The_Avion @TheAvion

The Daytona Beach Bandshell exuded energy this past Saturday, as the 18th Annual Habitat for Humanity of Greater Volusia County’s Bubba Building Block Party commenced. Thirty tables stood tall amongst the crowd, each housing a different team tasked with one unifying goal: to create a winning structure out of LEGOs. Entrusted with nothing but their imaginations, team-mates, and the building materials given to them, each team hoped to surpass their competition with their creations, while also supporting a fantastic cause.

The Building Block Party was created to raise money for Habitat for Humanity, an organization dedicated to helping local families leave substandard housing and further move into affordable housing. Rather than give these houses to families, Habitat for Humanity equips families with the tools needed to not only build the house but take on a mortgage all the same.

In fact, as of April 2019, the HFH of Greater Volusia County, which began in 1986, has helped build over 175 homes for families. By providing these resources, HFH enables families to regain control over their lives and become self-sufficient enough to take care of themselves.

The work of HFH has significantly been inspiring for many in Volusia County, particularly Embry-Riddle’s Dr. Jennifer Hinebaugh. For the fifth year in a row, Dr. Hinebaugh brought students in her current BA201 class to participate in the competition. Unlike usual, however, she stated that out of all her years of participating in this event, this is the proudest she has ever been of one of her classes.

From the moment they arrived at 10 a.m., Dr. Hinebaugh’s students showed nothing but excite-ment to be participating in the event.

According to Dr. Hinebaugh, they “showed up happy, ea-ger, ready to learn, and ready to bond. The people that wanted to be there were there, and they were excited to be there the whole time.” The students were fully engaged from the moment of their arrival, and that only grew once the building began.

The students were divided into different teams, which were given a decade to base their LEGO design on. From a replication of the Titanic to an electric guitar, to a JAWS tribute to emoticons, the students came up with ingenious ideas on the spot. Armed with nothing besides their wits and newfound trust in one another, they worked tirelessly to make their visions a reality, and have fun in the process. Ally Walters, whose team placed second place during the event, said that “the competition allowed everyone to come together as a team while ex-

pressing their strengths, ideas, and abilities.”

The BA201 students who attended the event not only received the opportunity to support a great cause but also to get to know each other better and get away from the hustle and bustle of life. In fact, one reason Dr. Hinebaugh adores bringing her students to compete annually is that “life is tough and I think you just need to smile,” which the event truly allows for.

Not only did the 18th Annual Habitat for Humanity of Greater Volusia County’s Bubba Building Block Party provided a fun and unique way to assist the community better, but it also brought Dr. Hinebaugh’s BA201 class closer than they ever had been before. Though no teams from Dr. Hinebaugh’s class won first place, that hardly mattered to the participants. What mattered instead was the absolute joy felt by everyone who participated in the event and the bonds they were able to form.

California Blazes Into Fall

Brendan Rohan Correspondent

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 EmbryRiddle 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: Student Union, Room 219.

Photo Courtesy/Dr. Jennifer Hinebaugh

Students from Dr. Hinebaugh’s BA201 class were ready to compete at the Building Block Party.

After a devastating fire season last year, California residents hoped for the best but knew the odds were not in their favor. As climate change leads to higher temperatures and drier conditions, the risk of wildfires dramatically increases.

California felt these effects last year when wildfires such as the Camp Fire in Northern California claimed 88 lives and burned up 153,336 acres containing 19,000 buildings.

In total, the 2018 fire season saw 1,893,913 acres burned up, destroying 22,751 buildings and claiming 103 lives. As California faced down another fire season, they budgeted $354.5 million for prevention and $1.2 billion for fire protection. They also increased their emergency firefighting fund from $442.8 million last year to a record-breaking total of $691.5 million for this year. As feared, the budget increase was needed: 2019 has brought more

devastation to the state with 6,402 fires recorded to date by Cal Fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. This past week alone has seen eight separate blazes spread across the state, from the Kincade Fire in Santa Rosa, which has burned through 77,758 acres in Northern California, to the Maria Fire in Ventura County, which consumed 10,000 acres. The 2019 wildfires have been less fatal, only taking three lives so far. This, however, does not mean they are any less devastating, as they have forced thousands from their homes as they are forced to evacuate. Those who stay in their homes face electricity blackouts and dangerously poor air quality. Unfortunately for California, they are not done yet. The warm and dry conditions that make it so easy for these fires to start are predicted to extend until at least the end of November. The next week will also continue to see strong sustained winds, which have been allowing for the rapid expansion of

the wildfires once they start. The good news is that California isn’t alone: they are receiving help from their neighboring states. Firefighters have traveled in from Oregon, Washington, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Idaho to help battle the blazes. Some of these firefighters leave their homes and families behind for weeks on end to ensure that others can return to theirs.

Photo Courtesy/Noah Berger

DC-10 Air Tanker 911 drops fire retardant over Ventura County, California

THE AVION

Student Life A3 For this edition of Humane Factors, we have asked Miguel Moore (President of oSTEM, AE major) to share his thoughts and advice.

Dear Humane Factors:

I’ve known for a long time that I was gay, but for many years of my life, I was afraid to let people know for lots of reasons. I didn’t want to disappoint my parents or lose friends, or whatever. After working with a great therapist, though, I realize that I am who I am, and there is nothing wrong with me.

I want to live my life in a genuine manner. This brings me to the point of my writing to you. I’m worried about coming out to my roommate and my friends on campus. Will they still treat me like they do now? Will I lose them as friends? I know my worry is probably keeping me from doing what is best for me, but I’ve known these people since I came here, and some of them are conservative in their views. Can you give me any advice?

From Miguel: There are so many things that can be said about your current situation, but I’m going to try to keep it simple, tell you a bit about my story, and break everything down into a few key points that will hopefully help you transition this period of your life.

I first came out to my friends when I was seventeen. I was at a friend’s house party; there were a lot of people, it was Friday night, you know the drill. I just couldn’t keep hiding this away from the people I spent most of my time with, and I was dying to see if anybody else was going through the same situation I was going through (I kind of already knew who else was gay at that point, but I just wanted to confirm). I’m not going to go through the details of how I did it, but I’ll gladly go over the aftermath.

My best friend at that time, who I had known for over ten years back then, stopped talking to me. Out of my three other closest friends, one of them had a very hard time taking the news, one of them was fine with it, and the other one was very happy that I could finally express my true self.

Dealing with my best friend was probably the hardest. I couldn’t un-

Dr. Frederick says: This is a very tough situation. We all need social support, love, and kindness from those we consider friends.

It is really stressful to consider that one disclosure could potentially change all that. Especially when, in this case, nothing about you has really changed related to your interactions with your roommate and friends. You are not any different in terms of interests, abilities, or personality.

I’m going to recommend taking a step back from your situation for a moment. Losing all of your friendships is only one possible outcome of your disclosure. Another possible outcome is that all of your friends remain your friends, and nothing changes.

Rev. Keck says: Let me begin by saying that you are always welcome at my office.

Sadly, the religions of the world have caused much suffering and pain to many LGBTQ+ people. I understand why many in my own Christian tradi-

derstand why, after all those years, he completely changed his attitude toward me. I tried to put myself in his shoes several times and went over with him how nothing had truly changed; how it was still me. But nothing seemed to do the trick. As time went by, he slowly started to talk to me again, and he was able to put into words why my coming out was hard for him: he was hurt that I didn’t resort to him before coming out to the rest of the group. I’m not here to question whether his motives were legitimate or not, but this brings me to the first point I’d like to make: change takes time. Coming out can be hard for all the parties involved. Think of it this way: when you’re already thinking about coming out, you’ve had all this time to process your feelings and emotions, whereas the person receiving the news may have no idea what you’re trying to tell them. My other friend, who initially had a hard time dealing with the fact that I was gay, eventually came around as well, and I dare say that brought us even closer. We enjoyed deeper conversations, and our bond became stronger with time.

One question you might be having is: did you lose any friends in the process? Unfortunately, I did. Which brings me to my second point: real Between these two extremes are a myriad of other possible outcomes.

From a Buddhist perspective, you are becoming attached to an outcome that may not even exist. You’ve set up expectations in your mind for how this disclosure might go, and you are worrying about the outcomes based on only one factor that could determine your friends’ responses.

The challenge for you then is to move toward a state of non-attachment to expectations and outcomes. That’s not to say you stop feeling friendship or kindness or other emotions. What you do is let go of the contingencies and pre-conceived notions or expectations about these emotions and your interactions. You live in the present awareness in a manner that tion condemn non-heterosexuals. I have an idea of how they read the Bible, and while I respect the seriousness of their commitment to our shared sacred text, I disagree.

You mention that you have some conservative friends. Perhaps some of them are religious, and perhaps my

friends will stick by your side, no matter what. One of the best things about life is meeting new people. Whether it’s in high school, college, work, an organization, a club, or just life itself, you will always meet new people if you are open to it. It’s all part of growing up. The people I lost in the process weren’t probably meant to remain in my life anyway. Did I learn from them? Yes. Did they learn from me?

Yes. Did it hurt losing them? At first, it did. But in retrospective, only the people truly worthy are the ones that remained by my side. They are the ones that keep enriching my life with conversation, with good moments, by sharing ideas and memories.

Another thing that I’m just going to put out there: coming out is not a onetime thing. As a gay man (and this applies to the entire LGBTQ+ community, one way or another), you will be faced with the act of “coming out” several times throughout your life.

You will come out to friends, family, co-workers, friends of friends; you get the gist. The first time is the most terrifying, but, as you probably know, the more you do it, the easier it will get.

The most important thing you need to remember is that even though you can control when and how you do it, you will never be in control of the other person’s reaction. Which brings is genuine. When you feel ready, you will disclose to your roommate and friends, and if you can maintain some semblance of non-attachment, you will listen and accept the outcomes that occur – even if some of them may involve changes to your friendships. There is no need to change your positive feelings towards your friends, even if they change their feelings. You can be open to continuing a dialogue with them if they have questions, and even if at the time they don’t.

Practicing this type of non-attachment can be tough – that’s probably why they call it ‘practicing’ and not ‘achieving’ non-attachment. Even if you don’t fully ‘buy-in’ to the philosophy, thinking about situations in this experience can help you with them.

I know what the Bible says, but I also know what my eyes see. The Bible has harsh words, but I see God at work in the lives of LGBTQ+ students, friends, and colleagues. I see those who are supposed to be sinners doing amazing acts of love and service, and their

me to my other point: other people’s opinions don’t define who you are.

You know, better than anybody else, who you are and the values you possess. Don’t let other people’s opinions bring you down. If they don’t like who you are, it’s their problem, not yours.

Never forget that, nor let anyone make you think otherwise.

Finally, the last point I’d like to make is the following: as part of the LGBTQ+ community, you get to choose your family. Surround yourself with people who enrich your life, who help you grow, who will give you good advice, who legitimately want the best for you. If you’re looking for support within the community, there are plenty of resources both on and off-campus, including three LGBTQ+ student organizations filled with great people with amazing life stories: P.R.I.D.E.!

(People Respecting Identity, Diversity, and Equality), oSTEM (Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and N.G.P.A. (National Gay Pilots Association). Also, look around campus for ally staff and faculty: you can spot them by their “Safe Zone Trained” sticker right outside their office doors.

Just don’t be afraid to reach out, you got nothing to lose. way can provide a different way to understand and experience life that may help in challenging times.

The most important thing is that you be you and live in a manner that honors all aspects of yourself. There may be people who don’t understand or accept you. That is on them. You will also find friends that will stick by you, and you may open yourself up to new friends. At times, life presents us with challenges. Pushing through those challenges with genuineness and kindness, even when the outcome is unknown, is what we have to do in order to ultimately obtain happiness.

faithfulness is extraordinary. (The Bible is much more interested in guiding us to care for one another than it is in sexuality.) My guess is that there will be those who will judge you for religious reasons, but you will also be able to change minds. The way you conduct your life will help them reassess what they believe about gay men.

THE AVION

A4 Interview With AJR In 2005, the Met brothers, Adam, Jack and Ryan formed what is now known as AJR. Originating in New York City, the indie pop trio began their career by busking around the city, until they were ultimately discovered while covering songs by bands such as the Beach Boys. The group broke out in 2013 with their debut single, “I’m Ready,” which reached the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 Chart.

Their next single, “Weak,” released in 2016, was another hit, reaching platinum status. The trio’s album, The Click, debuted in 2017, containing the tracks “Sober Up” and “Drama,” which further solidified their fame. They have since released their third LP, Neotheatre, and recently announced that their song, Overture, will be in the new Pixar film, Soul.

The Avion Newspaper - From your song 100 Bad Days, what is one story you like to tell at parties from one of those bad days?

J – That’s a good question. I guess the first line of the song is, ‘Remember when we first got drunk, I ended up with two broke thumbs,’ that’s a true story. It’s about my girlfriend actually, it’s not about me. It was like a classic story. We were really drunk at a party and she slipped on an ice cube and landed directly on her thumbs.

We were at the hospital till like 6 a.m. dealing with it. So that’s just one true thing that we tell that ended up in the song.

WIKD 102.5 – So one of my favorite songs from you guys is actually ‘Called My Dad,’ and I’m really interested in how that song came to be and how it was written, how it was created. It really hits me deep at home, especially being here at college, cause there are just some nights where I want to call home.

J – I think that one was the most college one for sure. Ryan wrote that when he was in college about missing home. Yeah, it was exactly that moment, and I think we just went to write the drunk, party song. The other side of the drunk party song where like this seems like a little too adult, a little too much, so we ended up. Originally, we were gonna have more production in there, and we ended up just doing the vo-coder, and the voice, to really give this dreamy, lost kinda feel.

WIKD – So I was curious, did you have like three different people coming together to make music? Like what kinds of genres do you listen to individually?

J – Ok, um… individually we… I don’t know if our music taste differs too much between us. But we listen to literally everything which is why we try to take so much from so many different genres. Hip-hop is a huge one for us production wise. The current pop, we always like to keep up with what’s going on. Alternative music, old music as well as what we grew up on, like the Beach Boys, were our favorite band, so we take a lot of influence from them and try to mix it with like modern production to try and create something that you don’t normally hear. But uh, I guess we just try to pull from as many genres as possible because in today’s music climate, people will shift their attention a little quicker than they would a couple years ago, so it’s easier, it’s harder to catch people attention, draw from more genres you’ll have a better chance of people sticking with you.

AN – You did say you pulled from a bunch of different artists, but if there was one specific artists from either the past or the present, who would you like to perform with the most on this concert?

J – Perform with? What do you think?

R – Honestly, we really… you guys know the Blue Man Group? Yeah, we were super inspired by them as musicians, but that would be a cool collaboration with them, cause you’re just watching the show like ‘I’ve never seen that before.’ It’s very imaginative.

AN – What message do you want your music to leave on its listeners?

R – Find what makes you unique in this world, and find your passion and really follow it. I think we’re at this cool age right now where people, like, are sort of able to follow their passions. Like all of our grandparents had difficult assembly line jobs so we could have actually like realize our potential, so do that.

WIKD – A lot of your songs, at least a lot of the ones I listen to, are a lot about family. You guys are brothers, I’m actually a triplet so I find it super cool. So what part of the family aspect inspires you to put that into your song, because not a lot of artists have a lot of family oriented music, so what inspires you guys to just have your song about your connections as brothers?

J – We just write what we know. So, we grew up in New York City in a really small apartment, we all shared a room for like… however many years until he [Adam] left for college, so, uh, it gave us a chance to get extremely close and really understand each other, and we started when we started writing music seriously.

That was a real kind of strong feeling that was going through all of us. It just happened naturally. You know when

song.

R – I wrote that song when we were in college. I met a girl, I asked a girl to hang out and she said no and I went home and wrote this song. This is such a weird transitional time for dating, like some people are on the apps.

The weird people are no longer the ones on the apps, kind of regular, mainstream people are on the apps, so it’s getting harder and harder to just approach people normally. It’s just a weird moment in dating and in finding, like, the perfect soulmate for you that’s gonna create, you know, your dream son. I just wrote about how weird it is.

AN – First off I wanted to say congratulations on having your music featured in a Pixar Movie. Sounds like a dream come true. What were your guys’ thoughts when you heard that was happening?

J – It was a secret we kept from people for a while. They approached us like 4-5 months ago asking for the stems for the parts of our song overture, which was the first song from our last album. They said, “We think you could work well with our Pixar trailer.”

There are so many opportunities in the music industry where people will reach out and ask, “Can we use your song?” and it doesn’t come through.

That’s been happening to us and every artist for such a long time, and you learn to not get your hopes up about anything, especially a literal dream come true like that. Like let’s not get too excited. We didn’t know when it was gonna come out and I guess a couple of days ago, we woke up and it was on twitter, and we had like a million notifications, I

they genuinely wanted the song that much. It was cool.

AN – For your partnership with It’s On Us How do you feel being a part of something so amazing?

J – I’m gonna give Adam a chance to talk now.

A – Hello, um… It’s On Us is an amazing incredible organization, I mean when Obama was in office and we went to the White House and actually played it, and Joe Biden was there and actually founded the organization.

But so many fans of ours are of the age that It’s On Us is trying to reach to help educate and help change sexual assault on college campuses.

And to be able to contribute even in our very, very, tiny way and help people feel something different and educate them through the song or through doing performances has been such a great opportunity for us and it just makes us happy that even one life can be changed with what we’re doing.

WIKD – I’ve been looking at this thing called “The Rule of Three,” I don’t know if you know about it. It’s a writing principle in which a trio of characters or events make a story better or make things funnier. I was wondering if your guys’ musical interest in genres has, or all separate talents, do think that principle influences you guys in your music since there’s three of you?

J – Didn’t know about the “The Rule of Three,” very nice reference. That’s obviously never gotten into our minds once whatsoever. I believe, because we didn’t choose for there to be three of us. But I don’t know, I could see how there are some benefits from having three of us. To the idea of having three people in a band.

Because I guess there would be this one, this one, and then there’s this one. It’s a sort of satisfying ending there. Its an interesting questions, we’ve never gotten that one before.

WIKD – I only have a light question left, so um… big spoon or little spoon?

J – Well were all pretty tall, soo…little spoon.

Zach Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper

you’re writing from your heart, it just finds its way in there. Thanks for noticing, I like that.

WIKD – In an article where you guys talked to someone about the message behind the song and part of it was the confusion dating in this time period, or you could say this decade maybe. Would you mind elaborating on that?

J - Yeah, Ryan actually wrote that

started crying a little bit. I think Ryan definitely teared up a bit. It was kinda like, because it was so much cooler than just like our song playing in the background, if you watch the trailer the main character, I think his name is Joe, he’s like a jazz pianist, he’s kinda playing along the exact chords to the song, so they created the trailer almost around the song. It was cool to see they put that much thought and effort into it, and to see

AN – My last question, since you’re at Embry-Riddle. If you had to major in anything, between being a pilot engineer or business major, what would you pick?

WIKD – Wait, Physics. You left out physics!

J – Ooh physics, I’d probably choose physics, actually. Before, we all went to Columbia [University], when I got in I think that was gonna be a major for sure, because I loved it so much in high school and I got there and realized not nearly as smart as the other kids that are… you know, majoring in physics. But I always found it so fascinating.

R – I’d say Engineer.

A – Engineering as well.

THE AVION

Fall Concert With AJR A5

Joshua Rosado/The Avion Newspaper

Joshua Rosado/The Avion Newspaper

Zach Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper

Zach Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper

Zach Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper

THE AVION

A6 Campus Life

Alexis Feinman Correspondent

2019 Study Abroad Photo Contest Winners!

It’s that time of the year again!

The new semester is well underway, and the Office of Global Engagement has chosen their photo contest winners from this past year of study abroad. From this year’s many great submissions, the winner was Linda Hall. Linda Hall, a senior majoring Aeronautics, went on our Summer B, A Stardust Odyssey, to Greece and Germany. This trip spent four weeks traveling to various places in Greece and then spent its 5th week in Cologne, Germany. According to Linda, “Studying abroad is a sea of opportunity to learn about yourself and the world!”

Linda Hall/Office of Global Engagement

Our second-place winner for the photo contest was a tie between photos sent in by Gunnar McCoy and Rebecca McBride. Gunwnar

Gunner McCoy/Office of Global Engagement

McCoy, majoring in Aeronautics, also participated in A Stardust Odyssey during Summer B. Gunnar sent a photo taken in Milos, Greece, and according to him, “Study Abroad means learning about the world around us by actually visiting the world around us.”

Rebecca McBride, our other tie for second place, is a student majoring in Homeland Security. Rebecca went on our Summer B program to Dubai. On this trip, students immersed in Arab culture while studying various Arabic courses that are a part of our Arabic minor. According to Rebecca, “The Dubai study abroad was the first time I’ve been outside of the U.S., and while I was nervous/hesitant to go, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not only did I progress in my Arabic minor in the classroom, but I actually got to live/experience the

culture and diversity of the Arab world firsthand. Thank you to ERAU’s GoGlobal program for expanding my horizons/giving me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and meet amazing people, eat delicious (sometimes way too spicy) food, and travel around the Middle East. Never would I have thought that I’d swim in the Persian Gulf, ride a camel, wear a hijab, quad through the desert, visit the world’s tallest building, or embrace/understand Arab Muslim culture so deeply.”

Rebecca McBride/Office of Global Engagement

These summer programs, along with many others, are offered to all ERAU students as a first-come-firstserve basis, so long as the student fulfills the minimum requirements of a sophomore standing with at least a 2.5 CGPA. Financial aid is also provided for all students to cover

all expenses for the trips, including tuition at half-price, program fees, international flights, and food costs, all done with a loan calculator. Interestingly enough, studying abroad for a summer semester is cheaper than taking courses on campus here in Daytona. This means, for a smaller price, you can study with ERAU professors and students, TRAVEL, and makes priceless memories around the world. Along with these benefits, employers are currently looking for students that have the capabilities to thrive, interact, and adapt to world-wide environments and teams from around the world.

If you are interested in learning about our many different programs and how you can study abroad, check out our website, or stop by our office, located on the second floor of the Student Annex. You can also email us at goglobal@erau. edu. There are many different summer programs for Summer 2020, and there is a place for you!

Club Spotlight: P.A.W.S Samantha Blizzard Correspondent Have you found yourself on the way to class or back to the dorms, and then you see a cat doing its own thing around the campus?

Don’t worry, you’re not seeing things, and it’s not an abnormality, just the work of the Protecting Animal Wellness Society or PAWS for short.

Samantha Blizzard/PAWS

The mission of PAWS is to maintain the care and health of the working cats living on campus. The group accomplishes this mission through a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) program, as well as daily feeding of our on-campus felines and provid-

ing any medical care these cats may need. According to Samantha Blizzard, the President of PAWS, “To date, we have had 78 cats go through our system. This includes adult cats and kittens. Of those 78, we have only released 29 adults back onto campus. We currently have five kittens in foster care and have adopted out 39 cats.”

PAWS has had recent success in the past two weeks when the group rescued five kittens near the maintenance hanger and rightfully named them: “Echo, Romeo, Juliet, Whiskey, and Tango.” A member of PAWS is currently fostering the kittens until they are old enough for adoption. PAWS can continue success stories such as these with the support of donations from faculty, staff, and fellow students.

PAWS has plenty of opportunities for its members, such as aiding in the care for the on-campus cat population as well as volunteer opportunities through Halifax Humane Society.

If you are interested in learning more about PAWS or interested in joining this club, meetings are held weekly in COB 122 on Mondays at 6:30 p.m., or you can contact Samantha Blizzard at blizzars@my.erau.edu

Samantha Blizzard/PAWS

THE AVION

A8 Campus

International Education Week

Alexis Feinman Office of Global Engagement

Micaiah Pruett Correspondant

International Education Week is quickly approaching! This year, Embry-Riddle will be celebrating the 4th Annual International Education Week from Nov. 18-22.

Throughout this week, there will be different events around campus that will highlight Embry-Riddle's various international programs and footprint. This year, keep an eye for information about events such as the Parade of Flags and International Spirit Day. Both of these events will happen on Monday, Nov. 18, to kick off the week.

Be sure to show off your international pride by wearing a traditional outfit or clothing showing off a country you have been to or would like to visit again. Next, events such as the Internation-

al Expo on Wednesday, Nov. 20, hosted by the Office of Global Engagement, will be in the Student Union. During this event, different professors, international students, and departments from around campus will be around to talk about our various summer programs, semester exchange programs, and different ways to fund these adventures. After this, be sure to stop by the College of Aviation Atrium to partake in the Center for Faith and Spirituality’s Dinner and Dialogue night. This free event will host many different international foods and discussions. Finish off the week by attending the Skyline Social on Friday, Nov. 22. During this event, students can participate in global

themed trivia, with a prize at the end for the winner! These events are just a few things to get excited about. Be sure to check out the Office of Global Engagement's social media throughout the week for updates on upcoming events and activities. Be sure to share your participation with us as well!

During the week, when you share a post about International Education Week, whether it is showing your international pride, or participating in some of the events, be sure to use the hashtags #IEW2019ERAU and #IEW2019 to have to chance to win some free ERAU swag. We cannot wait to see everyone around campus learning about Embry-Riddle’s international footprint!

Table Tennis Takedown

The Table Tennis Federation hosted its first biyearly two bracketed beginner and advanced player tournament on Friday (11/1/2019). The tournament allowed players of all skill levels to participate in friendly competition and have the chance to win prizes. The tournament took place using four table tennis tables sponsored to the event by the Housing and Residence Department and the ICI center. The competition lasted for three and a half hours and awarded bookstore credit prizes up to $100, table tennis paddles, or table tennis balls to semi-finalists and second place finalists of both brackets. The tournament had pizza, snacks, and drinks provided by the school's senior class council. It partnered with several on-campus and off-campus organizations to fund a terrific event for everyone. Players were welcomed to bring out their friends and families to support them and ended up filling the reserved event center. Players, parents, and friends all came together to have a great time and made a turnout of over sixty people. In the future, the Table Tennis Federation will look to

reserve larger spaces for even more participants and observers. The Table Tennis Federation will be hosting this tournament bi-yearly, so be sure to come out and participate every semester. Without the support and participation of the students of Embry-Riddle, the tournament would be impossible.

This event was made possible by the Table Tennis Federation, student participants, and all of the organizations that assisted the club in its efforts. The Table Tennis Federation would like to give a special thanks to all of its sponsors, donors, and partnerships; OnShore Apartments, Senior Class Council, Housing and Residence Life, Dean of Students Office, ICI Center, Student Government Association (SGA), and The Avion school newspaper team.

The Table Tennis Federation would also like to give a special mention to all of its top tournament players in both brackets. Beginners bracket semi-finalists; Luke Rowe & Micaiah Pruett, second place finalist Vincent Acosta, and first place finalist Keith Machado. Advanced bracket semi-finalists; Taylor Avery & Alec Ryden, second place finalist Chea Seaman, and first place finalist Lin Tseung.

Samanantha Stirmel / The Avion Newspaper

The Business Wire

Kevin Ratzel Corresponant As of Close of Market November 8th The S&P 500 just achieved it’s fifth straight week of gains on Friday, closing at a record high. In fact, the Dow, S&P 500, and the NASDAQ all finished the week at record highs, with the Dow just barely making it in the green before close after spending most of the day in the red. Trade took center stage this week as the United States and China seemed to agree on a compromise of rolling back tariffs in phases. United States President Donald Trump seemingly denied

that announcement. The markets have long reacted to any change in the US-China trade war, however recent advancements are having less of an impact until an actual deal is signed and presented.

The 10-year US Treasury Note had its highest one-week gain since the market began to fear an imminent recession at the end of summer. You may have heard someone refer to the yield curve inverting as a sign of a recession that is right around the corner. If that was your concern, rest assured the inversion has been reversed and yields as of print are showing bullish signs. That does not mean it will be smooth sailing forever, as analysts and econo-

mists are debating on when the next downturn can be expected. According to industry experts, the aviation industry is expected to continue to grow in 2020, and slowed growth into 2021, before returning to rapid growth in 2022.

Disney (NYSE: DIS) beat its earnings estimate on Thursday with the house of mouse reporting earnings of $1.07 per share (vs $0.95 expected) and a revenue of $19.1 billion (vs $19.05 billion expected) in Q4 2019. Shares soared 5%+ in after hours trading and into Friday.

The quarter saw strong growth in blockbusters The Lion King (2019), Toy Story 4, and Aladdin (2019).

On the flip side, attendance was hit in Florida due to hurricane

Dorian and attendance was down in Hong Kong amid unrest in the region. An increase in merchandise sales largely offset the loss in attendance.

Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) ousted its CEO, Art Peck, after dismal performance since taking over the company. Shares are down near 10% on the news, and down 30% year-to-date. The retailer is hoping a change in leadership will mark a turnaround for the company in the coming year.

S&P 500: +0.85% DJIA: +1.22% NASDAQ: +0.48% BND: -0.51% BTC: -5.78%

Henry Neiberlien/The Avion Newspaper

THE AVION

B2 RUX CORNER

Runway Rhythm

Jason Hunt is a graduate student in the Research in User eXperience (RUX) Lab in the Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology.

RUX investigates the usability and user experience of technology in our everyday world. This is a regular column that explores different technologies typically used by Embry-Riddle students.

Jason Hunt Graduate Researcher This summer, ERAU's Human Factors department was excited to launch its first study abroad program. The group visited Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, to explore user experience, ergonomics, and cultural psychology principles. Additionally, this program was the first to include both undergraduate and graduate students. In terms of user experience research, this brought excellent learning opportunities for students and faculty alike, and we were strongly encouraged to explore user experience research methods throughout our time in the three countries.

I was one of these students, and, as part of my work, I analyzed the experience of being in an unusual setting for an Ed Sheeran concert - Malmi Airport in Helsinki, Finland.

To do this, I used multiple methods, such as an impromptu behavior map (visually drawing behavior patterns on paper), and fly-on-thewall observations (observing behaviors in their natural context). Finally, the results were presented in the form of an infographic to give an overview of the most notable positive and negative user experience elements.

Why this project?

Many interesting elements contributed to the motivation for this research. First, the Ed Sheeran concert was the largest single show in Finland’s History with 60,000 tickets planned for July 23rd, and another 60,000 on the 24th (which sold out).

Photo Courtesy: Jason Hunt

Top: Balloons floating above the facilities.

Bottom: Water station.

This was also the first time Malmi Airport was used as a concert venue, and the first time Ed Sheeran had performed at any airport. In the hands of the venue operators and police, this information might provide insight into places of improvement, for guest experience and overall safety and efficiency.

Improvements at this early stage, though minor, might have a significant impact on future uses of the space as a concert venue.

Oddly, this project did not start with a plan to conduct research.

Two classmates and I merely

planned to attend the concert to have fun. However, the challenges we faced during the experience, and having experienced them through the eyes of budding researchers, gave rise to the thought of using this environment for the next class project. Specifically, the number of people created massively congested areas that raised red flags. We focused on these areas, as well as the safety and basic needs facilities at the venue (restrooms, water, and others).

Areas of concern To this end, I started noting areas of high congestion, which was documented through an impromptu behavior map. Areas where moving traffic conflicted with static traffic (i.e., as food/merch lines, restrooms, water stations), and areas where walking space was insufficient were shown. Following this, possibilities for improvement were considered, which included the use of barriers to guide food lines, and tasks for event staff before and after the show (such as opening additional walkways).

The food stall area, where lines stretched out outward (and not always straight) from the stalls, conflicted with the movement of traffic perpendicular to them, and nearly ran into lines from the merchandise booth. I also noted large areas of open space between the lines. A potential redesign would be to use barriers to guide a short line that snakes tightly for each food stall, opening up more walking space, and creating a physical barrier that will separate the areas.

Second, the walkway leading to the wristband section (closest to the stage) contained an extremely narrow walkway between barriers (the width of about two people shoulder-to-shoulder). This created congestion before and after each act; leaving this small area at the end of the show took my classmates and me nearly 20 minutes. My recommendation for this is widening the walkway, and tasking staff with removing the barriers following the last act to allow for a quick exit.

Lastly, while congestion at the entrance to the venue is understandable when arriving, due to the admission process. Departure was incredibly slow and congested. It took nearly 40 minutes for my party to leave the venue, with all attendees funneling out through two narrow walkways. This might be improved by opening additional walking space by tearing down barriers (near the end of the show) that were used to prevent ticketless guests alongside the walkways.

The Positives The positive contributions to safety and basic needs were also noted. Focus was given to restrooms, first aid stations, and water stations.

Primarily, these elements were lo-

Image Courtesy: Jason Hunt

Food Stall Area.

cated by observing several large balloons that were floating above each facility (great idea!). After locating, a gauge of the effectiveness of these elements was acquired through simple fly-on-thewall observation. Restrooms were plentiful, and every set seemed always to have vacancies. Water stations were constantly in use, but not congested, most people only waited about 10-15 seconds for their turn. There were also several first aid stations, which seemed to be mostly empty.

Visualizing the data When making a visualization, context is important: Who is the audience? Why is this data necessary? What are you hoping the display will achieve? Additionally, I felt that significant issues should be highlighted and noticeable immediately when seeing the graphic. To these ends, information was presented with a shortlist of facts (regarding scope and novelty) to establish the data's usefulness. An overhead drone image of the location during the event was included to be used as a map and visual aid. Significant areas of congestion (the most prominent problem) were identified using red overlays; facilities were identified on the map using simple icons (toilet paper icons for restrooms, food icons for food, etc.).

Conclusion In user research, needs vary from project to project, and a researcher needs to be adaptable. In this case, the benefit of a planning phase was not present, and I was challenged with producing a useful visualization of data. Behavior maps and fly-on-the-wall observations, though somewhat limited in their control, can be powerful tools in quickly identifying essential elements to user experience. These small changes, for instance, might create a significantly more enjoyable experience for guests, as well as provide staff with a boost in efficiency and provide increased safety for everyone present. With more follow-up research, this could lead to an understanding of best-practices that might streamline this type of location “retro-fit� in the future for

venue staff and promotion teams.

This project was crucial in supporting my need always to be ready to look at things through the eyes of a researcher and to be flexible with methodology. As a consumer, it helped to train my awareness of my environment, identifying these positive and negative aspects only added to my enjoyment of the experience (including knowing areas to avoid). I hope that it might assist others in feeling more comfortable collecting qualitative information or help consumers to be more conscious of their surroundings.

Interested in the RUX Lab? The Research in User eXperience (RUX) investigates issues related to user experience and usability of software, products, and processes.

The lab conducts research and provides consulting services to industry in many different areas.

Contact Dr. Barbara S. Chaparro at 386-226-6100 or visit COAS 401.29

Photo Courtesy: Jason Hunt

THE AVION

Industry B3 America’s Hangar

The Smithsonian’s Best Kept Secret Henry Neiberlien Former Editor-In-Chief The Smithsonian Air & Space Museum is one of the most visited museums on planet Earth. Last year it became the fifth most visited museum in the world with over six million visitors. The museum boasts an impressive display of artifacts ranging from the Spirit of St. Louis to the Apollo 11 command module. While this museum is worth a visit in its own right, an even more impressive collection of aircraft, spacecraft, and associated memorabilia is hidden away at an annex located approximately twenty miles to the west of the national mall. Located adjacent to Washington-Dulles International Airport is the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center, a massive hanger that houses the majority of the Smithsonian’s Air and Space artifact collection.

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is a 760,000 square foot facility that houses one of the most significant aircraft collections open to the public. Many of the aircraft located here are one of a kind examples, such as the last remaining Boeing model 307 Stratoliner. While other aircraft are awe-inspiring and possess an incredible amount of historical value, like the Boeing B-29 Superfortress “Enola Gay,” which dropped the atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. Upon entering the building and walking to the overlook, you will also be greeted by a view that is truly one of a kind; the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft overshadowed in the distance by the looming presence of NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery. This is the only place in the world where you can get both awe-inspiring vehicles in the same photograph. Looking to your right and left, you will soon be realizing that the aircraft around you are all as iconic and amazing. The Concorde Supersonic Airliner standing tall along with one of a kind relics from the second world war dominate your left, while weapons of modern air combat dominate the right.

While your eyes will immediately be drawn to the aforementioned aircraft with a sense of wonder in your mind, it is also essential to identify the amazing smaller pieces in the collection one might not notice at first glance. For this place is the only one where you can view the

last remaining relics of Nazi Germany’s Wunderwaffen of the Luftwaffe. A small balsa wood airframe with its wings sitting beside it may not impose the presence its design deserves. This is the only remaining Horten 229 flying wing jet fighter that still makes an imprint on modern pop culture and aircraft design.

You will also be able to see the first operational jet bomber, the Arado Ar234, which sits proudly beside one of the fastest fighter aircraft of the second world war, the Dornier Do 335. Also located in the collection are the world’s first guided munitions, created at the very end of the war in Germany, along with the world’s first rocket-powered fighter, the Messerschmitt ME-163. Looking at these pieces, it’s hard to imagine that they are, in fact, over 70 years old, yet they would not look out of place in modern science fiction.

This collection also houses some of the very last surviving examples of the excellent air power of the empire of the rising sun. Imperial Japanese aircraft such as the submarine borne Aichi M6A, yes, that’s not a typo, these aircraft were launched from I-400 class submarine aircraft carriers. Located right next to these spoils of war handed down from military intelligence is also one of the most impressive displays of U.S. military airpower from World War II, like the P-47 Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning, and one of the last surviving P-61 Black Widows.

While it’s important to appreciate the fastest technological leap in aircraft technology during one of humanity’s darkest hours, you will also be able to witness its dawn.

From early fabric biplanes to the first true fighter planes of the first world war like the French SPAD S.X. I and the German Halberstadt CL.IV, which would pave the way for the future of military aviation. A large selection of commercial aircraft is also located in the museum, showcasing the dawn of passenger air travel to the jet age and beyond.

Early airliners (such as the Douglas DC-3 and Junkers Ju 52), jet-age pioneers (such as the Boeing 367-80 [KC-135 and 707 Predecessor], and the Lockheed Constellation) are some noteworthy pieces of history stored at the center. The hanger also houses countless examples of sport and ultralight aircraft ranging from one-off prototype powered gliders to high-performance racing and stunt aircraft. A collection

Vipul Telang/The Avion Newspaper

The Space Shuttle Discovery was offered to the Smithsonian just over a year past its final flight in 2011. Discovery spent 365 days in orbit over its service life of twenty-seven years.

Henry Neiberlien/The Avion Newspaper

Visitors to the Udvar-Hazy Center are greeted to a head-on view of the SR-71 Blackbird from above while the Space Shuttle Discovery can just be seen in the background.

of rotorcraft from the early years of gyrocopters, to prototypes of the future, such as the Sikorsky X2, also make up the collection. On the opposite side of the main hall, across from the SR-71, is a timeline of air power from the inception of the cold war to modern-day aircraft.

These include the intrepid F-86 saber and Mig 15 of Mig Alley from the Korean war, to the F-105 ThunderChief and Mig-21 of Vietnam. Of course, what would a Vietnam collection be without a UH-1 Iroquois, commonly known as a “Huey,” an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter, and last but not least, the famous “Flying Brick” the F-4 Phantom. Other noteworthy birds of prey include the F-14 Tomcat of “Top Gun” fame and the X-35 prototype to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

While the aircraft collection itself is an absolute jaw-dropping sight to behold, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center also houses an incredible selection of vehicles and payloads that have ventured into “The Final Frontier.” The center of this collection is the Space Shuttle Discovery, still scarred from its final reentry back in 2011 the Shuttle seems forever waiting for its next mission into the stars. Alongside the Shuttle are many different pieces from the peaceful exploration of space, and the not so peaceful use of heavens above. Many examples of satellite busses hang above the hall, and manned space capsules from Apollo and Mercury sit on the floor. These sit alongside missile technology from the cold war, such as the SSM-N-8 Regulus subma-

rine-launched cruise missile, and the Armageddon delivering the might of a Poseidon submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile.

Repurposed missile technology is also displayed nearby with the Orbital ATK Pegasus, an air-launched rocket capable of putting small satellites into low Earth Orbit. Still operational today, it placed NASA’s ICON spacecraft into orbit in October of this year. Adjacent to the space hanger is the facility’s Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar, where you can see new additions to the collection being restored or prepped for display.

While the Smithsonian museums, along with the National Mall, house an astounding collection of artifacts from the history of the world, if you are an aviation buff, spaceflight fanatic, or a simple appreciator of human technological achievement, you’re missing out if you do not visit the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. The collection of aircraft and associated artifacts is overwhelming and will keep you exploring for hours on end. There is not enough room in this article to list every single noteworthy piece in the collection.

From warbirds to rockets, biplanes to supersonic jets, gyrocopters to hot air balloons, there is truly something for everyone to appreciate.

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is truly one of the Smithsonian’s bestkept secrets, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown D.C. lies one of the greatest collections of aerospace history in the world.

Henry Neiberlien/The Avion Newspaper

The Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar houses aircraft being renovated for display.

Pictured here is a Cirrus SR-22 as well as “Flak Bait”, a Martin B-26B-25-MA Marauder.

THE AVION

B4 Industry & Technology

737 Max Troubles Continue: A Closer Look at JT 610

Photo Courtesy/ AINonline

Mike Shekari Staff Reporter Southwest Airlines and American Airlines both canceled all flights slated to be flown by 737 Max aircraft until early March 2020 on Oct. 8. Further delay of the 737 Max’s return to service will continue to affect approximately 140 daily flights for American and another 175 flights for Southwest. Southwest, which is the largest operator of the 737 Max aircraft, has already reported nearly a half-billion-dollar revenue loss through September since the fleet’s grounding globally. Boeing also fired the president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Kevin McAllister, on Oct. 22. Congress has since been critical of Boeing CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, during hearings on the 737 Max accidents.

The 737 Max fleet was grounded in March 2019 following two fatal accidents involving the aircraft type within five months: Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.

Faults in the 737 Max’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) is suspected to be a significant factor in both crashes, which have resulted in 346 total fatalities. However, there are a few things the public should know before forming an opinion on the issue:

What is MCAS?

CAUSE AND EFFECT

MCAS is a new feature placed on the Boeing 737 Max to compensate for aerodynamic and performance differences caused by

the model’s larger engines, which make the aircraft pitch upward into a potential stall situation. The system is intended to work when the aircraft’s flaps are in a full-up position during routine flight by pushing the nose down using automated horizontal trim adjustments. The automated adjustments are only supposed to happen when the aircraft’s angle of attack exceeds a permissible threshold.

How did MCAS cause the accidents?

According to the final accident investigation report issued by Indonesian authorities, the MCAS, fed by a single erroneous angle of attack sensor, triggered repeated uncommanded horizontal trim movements into the nose down position.

Was MCAS the primary or sole cause of the accidents?

While it is reasonable to believe that issues MCAS’s design is the leading cause of the accidents, it is irresponsible to consider it the sole cause of the accidents. Other major contributing factors range from inadequate training, flight crew inexperience, poor crew resource management, human factors, and incomplete documentation of prior in-flight difficulties.

The captain and first officer of JT 610 both were relatively low-hour pilots, with around 6,000 and 5,000 hours, respectively. Both pilots exhibited issues during evaluations, such as the captain’s difficulty in communicating effectively and in

crew resource management. The first officer also exhibited repeated failures with memory items on emergency checklists as well as an inability to understand basic aeronautical concepts. These issues played a significant role in how the pilots handled the MCAS abnormality during the accident flight. The investigation report details describe a scene where the captain and first officer were not communicating efficiently, and the first officer had difficulties with memory items on multiple checklists, which was derived from the cockpit voice recorder.

Further aggravating conditions in the cockpit is the fact that Boeing did not provide detailed training materials on how MCAS functions.

The company also relied on assumptions based on the U.S. pilot population’s average proficiency level to determine if crews could react appropriately to an MCAS failure using the runaway stabilizer checklist. The crew who flew the aircraft before the accident flight used the runaway stabilizer checklist to stop undesired nose-down trimming movements.

The crew before the JT 610 crash reacted appropriately to the undesired nose-down pitch while in flight.

However, their failure to provide all details of their experience to maintenance personnel contributed to the accident. Had the crew mentioned that they moved the stabilizer trim switches to the ‘CUTOUT’ position to isolate the issue and regain control, maintainers may have had an opportunity to successfully

troubleshoot the issue before the accident occurred.

The investigation report also brings up a valid point of how a human factors issue was created by information overload and missing information at the same time.

Multiple error warnings were going off simultaneously for airspeed and altitude disagreements, but there was a lack of indication of an issue with the angle of attack sensors.

Had the pilots successfully received and understood a message about the angle of attack disagreement, they may have also been able to react by disabling the automated stabilizer trim being commanded

by MCAS. The bottom line is the cause of the accident is not as simple as just the faulty design in the MCAS. There were multiple missed opportunities where the accident could have been averted. However, the accident does show systemic issues within Boeing, FAA, Lion Air management. Boeing management failed to appropriately evaluate the risk of MCAS malfunctions with only one sensor feeding the system.

The FAA did not scrutinize changes made to the Boeing design enough when approving the aircraft with an amended type certificate. Lion Air failed to ensure that their crews possessed sufficient and uniform competency for handling in-flight emergencies and document complete details of a previous near-miss.

Image by: Mike Shekari

Korbin Martin/The Avion Newspaper

THE AVION

C2 Ice Hockey

Alani Seaman/The Avion Newspaper

Alani Seaman/The Avion Newspaper

Alani Seaman/The Avion Newspaper

Korbin Martin/The Avion Newspaper

Korbin Martin/The Avion Newspaper

THE AVION

Ice Hockey C3 ERAU Eagles Ice Hockey Honors Local Veterans

Korbin Martin Staff Reporter

The Embry-Riddle Eagles Ice Hockey team honored some of our local veterans by hosting Veterans Appreciation Night before their game versus Lynn at the Daytona Ice Arena. The event was also supported by the ERAU Student Veterans Organization and Vietnam Veterans of America. Every player on the team was partnered up with a veteran, and the Eagles had special Blue and Gold camouflage jerseys made. Each jersey had the name of the veteran each player was partnered with on the back.

Before the National Anthem started off the game, each veteran was recognized. They walked on a red carpet in front of a loud cheer-

ing audience. It was a great way to recognize some of our veterans and give back a little bit. Following the game, each player gave their jersey to the veteran they were partnered with.

The team also sold special commemorative hockey pucks, with all proceeds going to support the Semper Fi Fund.

The Avion Newspaper had the opportunity to interview Harry Shiles, a Navy Veteran and the EMT for the Hockey team after the game.

The Avion Newspaper: How long were you in the military, and what did you do?

Harry: I was in the military for four years. I was stationed in Bremerton, Washington, onboard the USS John C Stennis CVN-74. I was a Boat-

swain’s mate and worked as a Rescue Swimmer.

AN: What did you enjoy most about the military?

Harry: I enjoyed the camaraderie the absolute most. Being able to see parts of the world that I probably wouldn’t get to see normally is a close second.

AN: What are some parallels between hockey and the military?

Harry: Again, camaraderie, and definitely teamwork. Both are needed in hockey and the military.

AN: How did you end up with the ERAU Hockey Team?

Harry: I used to work for the Daytona Beach Police Department with Professor Anthony Galante. Three years ago, he asked me if I would volunteer to help the team as I also carry my EMT license. It has been an absolute honor to help and support this team ever since.

AN: Is there anything you’d like to say to the student body at ERAU? Harry: As I only know the hockey players and a few others who’ve attended the games, if I had to say anything it would be thank you for allowing me to be a part of such an amazing group of people. Ever since day one, I’ve always felt welcome, and I’ve made so many amazing friendships along the way.

Eagles Ice Hockey Trounces Lynn University 9-1 Korbin Martin Staff Reporter The Embry-Riddle Eagles Ice Hockey team has played exceptionally well so far this year, and tonight another great game that showcased just how good our Eagles are. The Eagles hosted the Lynn University Fighting Knights at the Daytona Ice Arena.

The Knights started strong, holding our Eagles to only one goal in the first period. Their goalie made some impressive saves, but the Eagles were controlling the game and were outshooting the Knights by a considerable margin. This would lead to a collapse of the Knights’ defense in the 2nd period, where the Eagles tallied five goals in 20

Korbin Martin/The Avion Newspaper

minutes.

The Knights scored their first and only goal of the game during the 2nd period. However, for most of the period, and the game as a whole, the Eagles were sending shot after shot towards the Knights’ goalie.

The Knights were playing very physically and aggressively, but they couldn’t stop the Eagles from controlling the entire flow of the game.

Whenever the Knights would bring the puck to the Eagles’ side of the rink, the Eagles would quickly take control and take it back towards the Knights goal.

After the 5-score second period, the Eagles led 6-1 entering the third period, where they carried that momentum into a final boxscore of 9-1.

Seven players scored for the Eagles

in the victory over Lynn: #42 Ryan Marks and #43 Kyle Usiak scored two goals each and accounted for nearly half the points on the night. #9 Jack Bokun, #4 Mario Filardi, #41 Matthew Sillcocks, #5 Adam Letarte, and #62 Adrian Debrah accounted for the other 5 goals on the night. It seemed like a game where nearly every player was involved, and there were quite a few players who made excellent shots that were blocked by Lynn’s goalie.

The win over Lynn wasn’t the only big win for the Eagles this weekend.

The ACHA released the first rankings of the year for D3 Men’s Hockey, and the Eagles placed higher than they ever have before. Our Embry-Riddle Eagles currently hold the #4 spot in the 39 teams ACHA

South Region. The University of Tampa holds the #1 spot, undefeated Florida Atlantic University is ranked #2, and the University of South Florida holds the #3 spot. Due to the strength of schedule of the Eagles, they are currently rated 11.02, which is a higher ranking than any team in the ACHA Atlantic or North Region, and would place #2 in the ACHA Pacific Region. In short, there are only four teams in the entire nation currently ranked higher than our Embry-Riddle Eagles. The Eagles’ next game will be against the #1 ranked the University of Tampa on November 15th.

Alani Seaman/The Avion Newspaper

THE AVION

C4 Sports

Photo Courtesy/Tavana Mercado

Athlete Spotlight Sophie Brundin

Caleigh Bocrie Staff Reporter The Avion Newspaper: Do you have any nicknames?

Sophie: Here at school, people might call me Soph and Swedish people might call me Soffan, which means couch in Swedish.

AN: What made you want to attend Embry-Riddle?

S: It was the quality of the Women’s Soccer team. So I went through a recruiting agency, and out of all of the universities I saw, I thought Embry-Riddle was a good option. When I got to meet Samantha Bohon in person, I really liked her. She is also one of the reasons.

C: Why did you want to study Biomechanical Engineering?

the guys until I was 13.

AN: How did playing with the guys impact the way you play?

S: I probably became more physical in the way I played… braver.

C: What would you say is your greatest achievement athletically?

S: It was back in Sweden when I would play Floorball, it’s the second biggest sport in Sweden.

During the same month, I got called to play with the national teams for both Floorball and Soccer.

AN: Are you interested/involved in any other sports?

S: When I go home for the Summer/Winter breaks, my family and I play Paddle. It's like an

S: I wanted to do something to do with math, and I heard that Mechanical Engineering was the broadest engineering degree. I had no clue what track I wanted to pick, so I chose bio. Now that I'm looking back at it, I'm really happy that I did because in the future I'd like to work with sports engineering.

AN: Now that it’s your senior year, do you have anything in particular that you’d like to do after you graduate?

easier version of Tennis with walls around, a smaller court, and the net is lower. Another sport I play with friends is volleyball. But if one day, for some reason, I can't play soccer anymore, then I would like to start to play Floorball again because I played it every day until I moved here.

AN: Are you involved in any other clubs/organizations?

S: I'm involved in BMES or Biomedical Engineering Society, and I'm actually going on a conference over Fall break in Philadelphia. We're having a senior project where we're developing an ankle brace because I'm having a lot of issues with ankle sprains, and I think the braces on the market are too bulky. So my group and I want to develop something that's more neat, and that prevents ankle sprains.

AN: In attending Embry-Riddle, what would you say is your most memorable experience?

S: My favorite Embry-Riddle soccer memory is when there was a hurricane, and we went on a hurricane evacuation to Alabama, where we played a game. It was a very hot and competitive game, and it went overtime, and then we won in overtime. From a non-soccer perspective, a former women's soccer player and I went to Washington, D.C, for Thanksgiving. It was very fun and intense… a lot of good memories were made.

AN: What are some of the biggest differences between Sweden and America?

S: People here are much more social than back home. People here can just start talking with random people, but back home, you only talk with the people you know. Another thing is that in Sweden, it is so difficult to pass the classes that nobody really cares about the grades. It's just a matter of if you pass the classes.

But here, everyone cares about the grade. Also, in soccer, you can do unlimited substitutions here, but back home in Sweden, you can only do 3.

AN: Do you have a favorite place to go to in Daytona?

S: So, I'm graduating in May 2020.

I would like to play professional soccer, probably in Europe. So hopefully, I can play for a few more years and then go into the Sports Engineering field and work for somebody. Adidas is my dream company. I'd love to do some product development for them.

S: Jerimiah’s Ice-cream. The women on the soccer team go together sometimes as a team activity… mandatory ice-cream.

When people have more free time, we usually go.

AN: When did you start playing soccer, and what got you into it?

S: I feel like us athletes end up being only friends with athletes.

One thing I think is important is to make friends with non-athletics people. And also, for non-athletics, people to understand that we are willing to be friends with them and that we are wanting to talk with them.

S: My dad was a professional soccer player, so that's one of the reasons I started to play. I started playing when I was five years old.

There were no girls' teams in my hometown that I could play at that time, so then I played with

AN: Do you have anything you’d like to say personally to the Embry-Riddle community?

Photo Courtesy/Tavana Mercado

Connor Adair/The Avion Newspaper

THE AVION

D2 New Smyrna Speedway

New Smyrna Governor’s Cup

6 Classes and Over 400 Laps of Racing on Saturday Night

Mike Shekari Staff Reporter A high-octane night of entertainment took place during the Pro Late 50 and 54th annual Governor’s Cup races at the New Smyrna Speedway on Nov. 9. The events of the evening seemed questionable after the Governor’s Cup practice laps and prelude races got rained out the previous night.

Showers started intermittently in the early afternoon and paused shortly after 4 p.m. During the break in the rain, track officials attempted to dry the track. Unfortunately, the rain resumed around 5 p.m., leading to the postponement of activities. However, any doubts about the race being able to happen on Saturday were quickly dispelled when the speedway experienced

optimal conditions with no rain and crisp air.

The real excitement took place during the 200 lap Governor’s Cup Race, which was won by the driver, Matt Craig, 20, of North Carolina. Throughout the entire contest, Craig commanded the track, leading every single lap by a wide margin. Craig also had one of the smallest support teams on the track with only five people and is one driver who traveled the second furthest to participate in the race.

However, the competition was extremely fierce for the second-place position.

Jeff Choquette, 32, last year’s Governor’s Cup champion and three-time winner of the contest, placed second in the race after a shifting position several times throughout the race. The West

Palm Beach, F.L. native, started the race in the third-place position at the but progressively sank out of the top five spots as the race went on. However, Choquette began an epic comeback somewhere around the 180th lap, passing several other cars to capture the second-place position. In the final laps of the race, Choquette also started closing in on Craig but was unable to catch him before crossing the checkered flag.

As a member of Jett Racing, Choquette’s chances of winning the competition looked high because he already won twice in contests at the New Smyrna Speedway this year. Had Choquette won the cup again this year, he would have been one of only three drivers ever to champion the Governor’s Cup a fourth time. The last driver to reach

the four-victory milestone at the Governor’s Cup was Butch Miller in 1987, who tied with the original 1976 record holder, Ed Howe. Hopefully, Choquette will return to the New Smyrna Speedway to compete in the Governor’s Cup again in future years so he can smash the long-standing record.

If you missed out on the lightning-fast action at the New Smyrna Speedway over the weekend, don’t worry! The speedway hosts a wide variety of races at its half-mile track that is guaranteed to provide fun for the entire family. Drivers at these races also range from drivers just starting their racing careers to professionals, and those with more life experience who still enjoy pushing the envelope in fast cars.

Future Stars in Auto Racing:

Interviewing the Up-and-Comers Vipul Telang Managing Editor

Chase Johnson

Nick White

Michael Trocki

The 54th annual Governor’s Cup, one of America’s most prestigious events held on a half-mile asphalt oval, was held on Nov. 9 at New Smyrna Speedway. New Smyrna Speedway has been active since 1967, where an advertisement for the track hailed the oval as a proving ground for tracks such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Darlington, and Daytona Beach [now known as Daytona International Speedway].

Many of the former and current NASCAR drivers, including Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, and more have driven in the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, which runs concurrently to Speedweeks leading up to the Daytona 500.

The venue has also seen a growing number of rising stars in the stock car series. One such driver is Harrison Burton, who raced around New Smyrna Speedway in 2015. Just a few years later, he was racing in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Burton, who is the son of former NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, is slated to race full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, taking the wheel of the No. 20 Toyota Supra.

Check out our Driver Spotlight with Harrison Burton on our website!

The Avion Newspaper interviewed a few up-and-coming drivers at the track on Saturday night just before the big event. We spoke with Chase Johnson, Nick White, and Michael Trocki, who raced in the Pro Late Models and the Pro Trucks.

The Avion Newspaper: So tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you got into racing!

Chase Johnson (14): Hey, my name is Chase Johnson! I’ve been racing since I was five years old. My dad walked up to me and asked me if I was interested in racing go-karts.

About four or five years ago, I progressed into the Pro Mod series.

Nick White: I’ve been racing gokarts since I was about four years old. I grew up racing around a track called Burbank [Speedway]it was a dirt track. Later, I moved to asphalt racing. I raced at Citrus County Speedway in Inverness, FL. I’ve raced at New Smyrna Speedway two times before this weekend. The first time I came here, I was too young to race because I didn’t have my NASCAR license!

racing some of these guys hard!

The Avion Newspaper: How supportive has your family been with racing?

CJ: They definitely keep me on my toes and they’ve really helped me through a lot of stuff.

NW: My dad’s been racing for a while now. He used to race ARCA cars around Daytona and has raced there at least twenty-six times! My Uncle George worked on Bobby Allison’s pit crew and he’s now in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

MT: My dad’s gotten me into racing and I really just followed in his footsteps and I ended up here!

The Avion Newspaper: How hard is balancing school with racing?

Michael Trocki (16): Hey, my name is Michael Trocki from Debarry, Florida. I started racing go-karts when I was about five years old around Volusia County Speedway and been racing there for about ten years. This is my second year at New Smyrna Speedway.

CJ: It’s really hard balancing school with racing, especially when all I want to do is to race.

The Avion Newspaper: What’s your favorite part about racing?

The Avion Newspaper: What are your ambitions or goals in racing?

CJ: I really like going fast!

CJ: I’d like to end up racing in the [Monster Energy NASCAR] Cup Series. That’s my end goal!

NW: I love the thrill of racing. I get such a rush when I’m behind the wheel!

MT: Being around all the people here. I love good, clean racing and

MT: It’s really hard. I put racing in front of school, because that’s really what I like to do. But I know I have to keep up with my education.

MT: I really just want to go as far as I can go. Hopefully, I want to end up in NASCAR or something big like that.

THE AVION

New Smyrna Speedway D3

Vipul Telang/The Avion Newspaper

Connor Adair/The Avion Newspaper

Connor Adair/The Avion Newspaper

Vipul Telang/The Avion Newspaper

Mike Shekari/The Avion Newspaper

COMICS & GAMES

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