Avion Issue 6 Spring 2018

| Issue 6 | Volume 149 | Tuesday, February 27, 2018 | theavion.com |

Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper

Ready Player Union

New Gaming Amenities will Make the Student Union a True Game Changer Collin Anderson Managing Editor

What’s Inside

In Issue One of the semester, all of the features of the first floor of the upcoming Student Union were discussed. This week, the focus is the second floor.

To go upstairs, you could use the central staircase or one of the three elevators. When you get to the second floor and look east, you there is a nearly unobstructed view of the main campus immediately greeting you.

The part of the second floor that will see the most foot traffic will probably be Starbucks. This Starbucks will be larger than the current or previous iterations and boasts more seating. It will have a more open feel and will also be getting furniture to give it a modern vibe. An annexed part of Starbucks will showcase student's photography and artwork. When the Starbucks closes at night, it will do so in a way that allows the seating to be used after hours, as well as provide access to the art gallery. A door accessible through Starbucks will let individuals step out onto the second-floor terrace on the south end. This place will be an addition to the list of ideal places on campus to watch planes take off and land as well as watch rocket launches. There is a hole in the terrace where a palm tree will be sprouting through from the ground level.

Moving away from Starbucks, located on the western end of the floor is the SGA and

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

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its Division offices. This, of course, excludes WIKD, who will have their office and studio on the first floor. The SGA is going to be getting a multipurpose room more appropriate for the Student Court, Student Representative Board, Student Finance Board, and other functions that require a large meeting room. They modeled the room after the Senate chambers at the University of North Florida. A new feature of the SGA space will be the Student Organization Resource Center, an area dedicated to registered student organizations, or RSO's.

This room will have small meeting spaces as well as computers that students can use to plan out their organizations' activities. There will also be an open-seating area where students can come in and work on whatever they need to.

On the eastern side of the second floor will be a novel feature that the UC has not seen. That side of the second floor will be a gaming area, which will include both table games and video games. The table games are said to include ping pong and pool tables, much like in the New Residence Hall. In a separate room will be a place dedicated to playing video games. Details of what will specifically be in there are still being worked out. Next to that room will be a computer lab for general use, which will be similar to, yet grander than, the computer lab in the Landing Strip. There will be a student employee who will distribute accouterments needed to play games such

as paddles, pool cues, and game controllers.

Rodney Cruise, Senior Vice President for Administration and Planning at Embry-Riddle, wanted to stress the fact that students' inputs were involved in every step of planning and designing.

The Student Union Advisory Board will

Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper The atrium of the new Student Union as seen from the second floor looking East. This area will provide plenty of seating for students both in the form of tables and on steps facing the entrance.

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be actively seeking feedback throughout the semester about video gaming console suggestions as well as table games.

Next month, the last installment of the Student Union will be released. That will focus on the third and fourth floors, and there are big surprises in store.

Review of Sci-Fi Thriller Annihilation

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The Avion

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

Henry Neiberlien Collin Anderson Rajan Khanna Samantha Stirmel Vipul Telang Payton Muglia

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

Henry Neiberlien Alessia Ames Jorja Gwaltney Chaz Pokracki Jaclyn Wiley Nick Hernandez K’Andrew France-Beckford Victoria Jordan Kaitlyn Zumwalt Olivia Brett Mariah Marin Samantha Stirmel Andrew Bronshteyn Sarah Fairchild Brandon Collins Sarah Fairchild Jordyn Taylor

Staff Contributors Reporters Keenan Thungtrakul Abigail Johnson

Photographers Rajan Khanna Samantha Stirmel Nick Hernandez

Correspondents Chaz Pokracki, Kaitlyn Zumwalt, Olivia Brett, Vanessa Burkett, Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh

Staff Advisor Jessica Murphy, Avion Advisor

Contact Information Main Phone: (386) 226-6049 Ad Manager: (386) 226-7697 Fax Number: (386) 226-6016 Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Business Manager Photography Editor Advertising Manager

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

Website: theavion.com

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The Truth About Fake News

Samantha Stirmel Business Manager Miles O'Brien joined the Embry-Riddle Campus on Feb. 20 and discussed the news that he has covered over his lifetime with CNN, PBS, the Discovery Science Channel, and the National Science Foundation. He joined a packed auditorium that consisted of the public, students, faculty, and upper administration.

The first point that O'Brien touched on was the historic first flight and how two newspapers covered it. Hilariously, he also talked about how the entirety of the coverage of it was “fake news.” He described how the Wright brothers telegrammed their successes home to Dayton, Ohio. From there, the telegram operator decided to intercept it and fed it to the other newspaper that ran it. Furthermore, he touches on the fact that reporters know nothing about aviation. A go-around with the former First Lady Michelle Obama turned into something categorized as a flight scare that turned into this massive scene where there was much fear. Jumping back in time, he talked about Northwest Flight 255 and more specifically the Pratt and Whitney engine that was on the plane. O'Brien states that because of the need to fill the hole in the media about things they do not know about, they speculated that it was the engines fault, before looking at the human error of the situation, staining the companies name. The media runs on the tiniest facts sometimes, O’Brien admitted that they ran on three total facts for months about the Malaysian Flight 370. O'Brien talked about his struggle to get people to understand aviation and know the truth and be able to understand it. He has wanted to bring cameras in simulators and explain things, but everyone is hesitant, whether it is FAA Safety, Airlines, or anyone else.

In O'Brien's history, we learn that

his grandfather, father, himself, and now his son are pilots. He avoided science his entire life, studied history in college, and stumbled into journalism by reporting local news. His CNN interview lasted two days and was explicitly for a science reporter, and he thought why not. He took a ‘Hail Mary' and told the president of CNN, that because he was not good at science, that is why they needed to hire him. The public and news world does not altogether understand it, so you need a reporter who does not either. Back in the day, science was set in stone, the segments were paid for by mainly AT&T, and they could never get cut. O'Brien was the first journalist that was going to go up into space; he negotiated with the Russians and NASA before the entire Science and Technology section of CNN was all fired. When no one is paying for it and pushing for it, science does not get covered, and no one cares. O'Brien explains that the press room was honestly hostile towards the concept of science.

The science in the newsroom was changing while O'Brien was reporting about the science on the outside.

He touches on Pathfinder, being the first big NASA mission of the Internet age. Access to information exploded, they did not have to wait any-

more for it to be fed to them. Leaks started happening, people began demanding, and a few people no longer held all the information of the time. In comparison to Pathfinder, Phoenix was the first NASA mission to be live-tweeted. The worry was initially that there would be no staff that would be able to have a press conference about Phoenix or reports on it since it was on the weekend.

Twitter was a way to bypass all of this, and since then, Twitter is the only way that companies like SpaceX even talk to the public. The first significant Twitter wars were between CNN and Ashton Kutcher in the race to one million followers. The day in age where people would instead follow a celebrity's life, rather than a news source was there.

From here it blew up to hours-long coverage of NASA launches which O'Brien helped instigate himself.

The audience is a lot closer now, and there are now fact-checks, trolls, and nowhere to hide if you screw up.

Mainstream media is no longer into what it used to be. Anyone can be a reporter; anyone can be an advertiser, and everyone can be an editor. They can be anything; the mainstream media is no longer the fastest most reliable thing out there, and it is no longer supported the same way either.

Samantha Stirmel / The Avion Newspaper

A Smaller, Quieter Bike Week 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.

Keenan Thungtrakul Senior Reporter In a town that is known for its Bike Week motorcycle fest, there is another kind of bike on the roads. This bike produces less noise than a motorcycle and has zero emissions. Have a look at Embry-Riddle’s campus or any other college campus, and you will find these bikes. Yep, they are bicycles. Faster than walking but slower than motorized transportation, bicycling is a great way to travel while getting a good workout depending on the terrain. For Professor Jason Aufdenburg, biking is his life. He has never owned a car nor had a driver’s license. Everywhere he goes, he takes his bicycle, going upwards of six miles a day. Professor Robert Fleck,

known for his long-distance cycling runs, is also an advocate of this method of transportation. In fact, grocery stores such as Publix and Walmart, and apartment complexes such as Eagle Landing and Epic Apartments, are all within cycling distance from campus.

For those who enjoy long-distance cycling, you can cycle to the beach or any of the shopping areas on International Speedway Boulevard. If going that direction, stick to the sidewalks and designated bike lanes for safety.

This year’s “Not So Noisy Bike Week” featured some community events alongside Tuesday’s “Bike Fest” that took place at Embry-Riddle’s campus.

There were multiple bike-related activities for students to participate in. Students received free bike safety checks,

got fitted with a new helmet tailored towards their respective head sizes, obtained cycling maps, bike lights, and patch kits, and participated in bike-related games. On Thursday, students who were cycling home from school were able to receive free USB-powered bike lights to ensure visibility at night.

On Saturday, cyclists from all over the community gathered at Bethune-Cookman University for a bike festival and a ride around town.

Following the ride, the documentary “Why We Cycle” premiered. Stemming off this year’s and last year’s activities, “Not So Noisy Bike Week” aims to promote awareness of bicycling and encourage more people to consider cycling as an alternate means of shortto mid-distance travel.

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The Avion

Do You Believe in Magic?

Kaitlyn Zumwalt Correspondent

“Fate is like a message in a bottle” according to Ben Seidman, an award-winning magician and Touch ‘N Go’s most recent performer in the Seriously Funny comedy series. Seidman entertained, amazed and had the audience falling out of their chairs with laughter. The magician performed a series of mind-blowing tricks with themes that uniquely collided at the grand finale.

Ben Seidman started off the show with a couple of icebreaker magic tricks like making a scarf go through the microphone stand which got zero reaction. He then proceeded to make a bottle appear out of thin air in which the audience reacted with the face similar to “blowup dolls.”

Seidman’s first significant trick was when he pick-pocketed the first volunteer, Kyle, and safety-pinned a 5-dollar bill from Kyle’s pocket without touching the volunteer. Kyle’s hilarious gun-ho attitude and baffled reactions indeed made the trick more entertaining. Next, he then called up the second volunteer, Jordyn, in where he proceeded to make tissues fly over her head but in her perception, the tissues kept “disappearing.” Jordyn was so bewildered that she teared up with laughter the whole time on stage.

In this point of the performance, Seidman said the only thing he wanted his audience to leave his audience with was that “fate is like a message in a bottle and whatever the message says is destined for whoever finds it.” That night, he truly summoned fate with his illusions. Ben Seidman called up his third volunteer, Alex, would was told to pick a random card with a name on it and hold the card up to his stomach. After this, the audience was asked to choose a single digit number

that was meaningful to themselves. He then tossed a hat around the audience and whoever caught the hat told Seidman their number until there were eight numbers.

The numbers were 57335127.

When the ninth person received the hat, he asked his name and area code. He said his name was Josh L. and he accidentally said his zip code instead of his area code. Josh L. said his actual area code, and with his area code, Seidman called up a random volunteer to dial the area code and use the other seven numbers from the random meaningful number from the audience in any order which was up to the volunteer’s discretion. He called the number, and a man named Dan was on the other line, but sadly, Dan hung up before Ben Seidman could ask him any other questions.

The illusionist then brought up another volunteer to call his in which she picked an essential number to her as well as a suit in which she chose the two of diamonds.

The volunteer, Alex, was then asked to show the audience what the name on the card was which said Dan and then peeled back the sticker on which the name was written on to reveal the suit of the card which was indeed the two of diamonds. Following this endeavor, Ben Seidman told the audience an engaging tale about how he single-handedly almost closed down the entire Las Vegas Strip over a bag of flour which sixty plus cops thought was a bag of anthrax.

After this story, he picked up a piece of paper that had been on a stand the whole time without him touching it and had a volunteer read the letter. The letter said that Ben Seidman would meet a man that night whose initials where JL and he would accidentally say his zip code when asked for his area code. After reading that letter,

Kaitlyn Zumwalt/The Avion Newspaper Ben Seidman astonishes Jordyn Taylor by making various object disappear before her eyes. From the audience’s perspective, he was using a slight of hand by throwing the objects over her head. From Taylor’s seat, it was magic.

Seidman also opened a box that remained untouched in which it contained a message in a bottle. Inside the bottle was a dollar bill which the serial number matched the random eight numbers picked randomly by the audience members in which Seidman had done the impossible. The magician summoned fate… or did he?

Ben Seidman, 33, found his inspiration through his passion for theatre and magic while growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Seidman moved to Las Vegas after college to pursue a career in entertainment.

The aspiring entertainer was discovered by Criss Angel, famous Mindfreak magician, at a show he was performing on the strip.

Angel on the spot hired Seidman to come

work for his company and invent magic tricks. Ben Seidman has conceived at least 20 original illusions that he’s proud of, but most illusions allude to other previously invented tricks. The most enjoyable part of performing for the magician is fabricating an official response from his audience to his fresh and original content. Seidman claims that magic is not a perfect craft and most shows take a significant amount of improvisation for successful execution.

A piece of advice for anybody wanting to pursue their passion from this rising new star is “If you choose something that moves and drives you, you can make it a part of your life if you work hard enough. Follow your dreams at all costs.”

V-Bikes: Uber, but for Bikes Nicholas Hernandez Webmaster Recently around campus, you might have been noticing yellow bikes here and there. These bikes are part of a bike sharing program called V-Bike.

They were introduced during a bike safety awareness event that was held on the west lawn. It is a straightforward and affordable cost alternative

to owning a bike on campus. Each bike has a forward light and a rear red light, and an electronic lock which you can unlock via their app, all of which are powered by a solar panel located in the front basket.

To use these bikes all you have to do is download their app onto your mobile device which will tell you where the nearest bike is on campus.

Once you get the app, you get one free

Nicholas Hernandez/The Avion Newspaper One of the various V-Bikes scattered around campus. They are convenient and ready for use whenever you are.

ride. To redeem it, you hit START on the app and hold your phone next to the electronic lock, which will then unlock your first ride. Once you are finished riding, you re-lock the bike by pushing down the knob located on the lock. The app will tell you how long you rode, the calories you burned, and how much carbon emissions you saved by riding the bike instead of taking a car. And just like Uber, if you refer a friend, you get more free rides on the bikes. Otherwise, it costs $1 per half hour you ride, or you can get the V Pass for $14.95, which will give you unlimited rides for one month.

The bikes do not have a limit on how far you can take them. They are scattered all over campus from the Student Village to the IC, and even the Flight Line. Some students have already brought them to the beach, and the bikes performed fantastically. Each bike has a GPS locater, which shows where every bike is on the App..

So far there are only ten bikes on campus, but if V-Bikes gets approval from the University, there will be more than 30 on campus for all students to use. Since V-Bike is a company, there are bikes all over the United States. So if you are on vacation, check the app, because there might just be a bike nearby.

If you are worried about these bikes being low quality, or falling apart from rust, there is no need to worry. These bikes are made from steel, aluminum, titanium, and even carbon-fiber. While it may sound heavy, these bikes are as light as your everyday racing bike. The company V-Bikes has ensured that all bikes will be kept up and running by adding a customer service option to their app. It allows direct contact to the distributor which has over 100 bikes in standby in a storage unit no more than five miles from campus. Though there will probably never be a need for its use, it is comforting to know that it is there. These bikes are more durable than any bike on the market.

The representative from V-Bikes that was on campus during bike safety day said the amount of modifications they added to each individual bike makes it safer and more comfortable than any bike you can go out and buy at a store. These are more comparable to a customized bike you need to pay hundreds of dollars for at a custom bike shop, and it certainly feels like it. Each bike is fitted with pressurized seat lifts, a solar panel fitted front basket, full rubber tires making it impossible to get a flat tire, and a fully housed drive shaft. These bikes are top of the line, and we are lucky to have them.

A5 Feature Child Abuse Case Results in Change of Homeschool Laws in California February

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The Avion

Olivia Brett Contributing Writer

Photo Courtesy: ABC Louise Turpin, far left, and David Turpin, second from right, in court regarding their accused torture and abuse case of their thirteen children for the last two decades.

old had the body of a teenager due to starvation. Neighbors recalled that they only saw the children out and about a few times, describing them as skinny and pale. They were quiet, but were described as smiling at their parent's recent vow renewal celebration. The ceremony was conducted by an Elvis Impersonator, who tells the New York Daily News that "[the] children were very soft spoken and well-mannered… [they] were enjoying their time together.” The Turpins also took frequent trips to Disneyland, with everyone dressed identically, as shown in Facebook posts by the mother.

Regarding homeschool licensing, California state laws are being reviewed and revised so that restrictions are more thorough. According to the LA Times, "Assemblyman Jose Medina (D-Riverside) proposed a bill that he said would "tighten up" state regulation. Assemblywomen Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) and Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) have signed on as co-sponsors".

Current state law declares that families who choose to educate their children at home are deemed to be operating private schools. Private and/or homeschools are

required to register with the State Department of Education and submit annual paperwork. They must state how many students are enrolled and the location of the school annually. The small number of students suggests that the individual facility is a homeschool. However, according to the LA Times, "No one in the state Department of Education, county or local school district has any legal responsibility to check on the conditions of these home schools or assess the students' academic performance…while private schools are required to get annual fire inspections, this regulation has never been broadly applied to home schools".

“

David is a former aerospace engineer and worked for Northrup Grumman.

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On Jan. 14, in Riverside, California, a 17-year-old girl risked her life to save the lives of her twelve siblings. She escaped through a window of her home, with only a deactivated cell phone, and managed to call 911 to report a story of torture and abuse.

The perpetrators of this crime are David (56) and Louise (44) Turpin, the parents of the thirteen children. David is a former aerospace engineer and worked for Northrup Grumman. The family declared bankruptcy more than once, and the two have pleaded not guilty to more than 40 charges against them; including torture, false imprisonment, and abuse of a dependent adult. David, the father, has also been charged with lewd conduct with a minor. Bail is set at $12 million per defendant at this time, and they cannot contact their children for three years. The Turpins face over 90 years in prison.

The address where police made the arrest last month is known to be the address of a homeschooling location, called Sandcastle Day School. Sources report that the Turpins had kept their thirteen children inside, away from the world, shackled and chained to furniture. The couple would reportedly force their children to go without food or proper facilities for days, or even weeks on end, and allowed each child to shower only once a year.

Sources report that, during the infiltration, the house was uninhabitable. Noting that there was apparent human waste and filth throughout the house and that the Turpins unshackled some of their children before authorities were able to reach the scene. The Turpin children's ages ranged from 2-29. Currently, no evidence has been found to support the idea of abuse against the couple's baby. The family's pets were also reportedly sufficiently fed.

According to the LA Times, the severely malnourished 17-year-old girl who turned in her abusive parents had been planning an escape mission, with her siblings, for a few years. Initially, all of the siblings involved in the plans of escape were to call the police, but upon exiting the house, they returned, frightened of the possible consequences. When authorities reached the home, they claimed that the Turpins' children were all young, as even the 29-year

In other words, parents who choose to run their own homeschool do not get fingerprinted, and the state does not conduct background checks as it would for a traditional school teacher. Florida homeschooling regulations are similar, with limited requirements regarding physical inspections. David Turpin registered as the principal of Sandcastle Day School and documented that six-students were in attendance.

In the US, eleven states do not require parents, or those running a homeschool, to submit documentation of their organization, and they are not required to register with any state agencies or school districts. Texas is one of the 11 states that have relatively lenient laws regarding homeschooling.

The Turpins lived in Texas for nine years, with their eight children, according to the LA Times. Hardly anyone saw the family, and neighbors described them as mysterious and secretive. According to a former neighbor, David Turpin would stand in the driveway shooting at cans,

facing the open road, and the children's new bikes were seen outside, unused and sun-bleached. Ricky Vinyard, a tree cutter in the Texas neighborhood and the Turpin's neighbor, tells the LA Times that he and his wife considered reporting the couple to Rio Vista authorities.

According to this former neighbor, the family had a trailer that was filled with waste, as they kept dirty diapers and deceased pets in it, and their cars were full of trash and Vienna Sausage cans. He had reservations "because he had grown up in the town of fewer than a thousand people, at the end of a county road surrounded by pastures, miles from the sheriff 's office." Furthermore, a deputy was called to the Turpin house in 2001 when a child was bitten by a dog, but Vinyard and his wife decided not to alert authorities about suspected abuse. "We discussed it, and we did not want to have the repercussions with them," Vinyard said.

He defends his silence by emphasizing that Turpin was armed. Vinyard's daughters played with the children, who refused to share their names. She also recalls hearing the Turpin siblings say, "We cannot talk to them anymore, remember?" when walking past them down the street. When the Turpin's house was left, the house was littered and filthy, and the remains of a makeshift classroom were found. Vinyard tells the LA Times that the house was a mess and that there were locks on every drawer, cabinet, and closet. Like his daughter, Vinyard wishes that he had reported their neighbors to officials. "I feel really guilty we did not," he said.

CNN reports that the story and case have "moved people around the world to donate about $570,000 to support the children's medical expenses and education.”

The charges against the couple date back to crimes committed in 2010. The couple only allowed their children to write in journals during their days locked up in the house, and currently, the journals are evidence against the couple. The next court date is March 23, and May 14 has been set aside for the preliminary hearing.

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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles!

Chaz Pokracki Correspondent

On the beautiful morning of Feb. 24, 2018, the Plant City annual Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Show took place. During this event, planes ranging from old to new, big and small, and from all around gathered for the enjoyment of adults and kids alike.

Upon arriving, I was immediately blown away by the number of remote-controlled planes there were. As I was entering the airport, RC planes flew over the complex back and forth, before the event started. Around 10:00 a.m., the show started with an ultralight streaming smoke above the airfield, the crowds cheering. On the taxiway itself, planes lined up next to matching cars. The 1942 Vultee BT-15 Valiant was accompanied next to a blue Dodge Viper.

On the other, the 1943 Vultee BT-13A Valiant was accompanied next to a silver Audi R8. Many other planes attended, from all different colors and time periods, even the USAF brought a plane!

Other than the planes, cars, and model trains, there was a lot of food and raffles underway. Chick-Fil-A had a stand, along with a few BBQ places and other vendors. The Girl Scouts were there selling cookies and the boy scouts were selling burgers and hot dogs.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Jason Jones, the founder of the event.

During an exclusive interview, I asked Jones a few questions. My first inquiry was to ask him about what this is, and what it is all about. Jones said, "It's Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Just like the movie!" He said it was an idea that started eight years ago after wanted to introduce his son to the world of aviation. He continued, "I thought it would be

Chaz Pokracki/The Avion Newspaper A 1942 Vultee BT-15 Valiant with a Dodge Viper. The BT-15 was used in World War II to train members of the US Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces.

a great idea to create an event to showcase the airport itself and to promote knowledge about aviation." Jones mentioned that during the first meet, he would have been excited to see even twenty people show up. "It started as just planes, but as the event grew, we adapted a built-in car show and later added trains."

I asked Jason if he was interested in aviation, and where the idea rooted from. "Oh, no, I'm not a pilot, and I don't know anything in aviation," Jones stated. "I don't even know anything about cars, or trains. My enjoyment comes from getting the families out here. A safe place for relaxation." Jones said his biggest interest is getting the kids excited about it. Seeing the planes, flying in them, and even just thinking about them is en ough. "I'm an Eagle Scout, too," Jason explained. "I wanted to make sure I included the scouts as well help them sell their goods and earn their aviation / Search & Rescue badge."

It took about two years to get the sponsorship and funding, but more good sponsors joined right at the beginning, who gave it a gentle push to expand it. Jason says it makes him feel so great to hear that people from around the area express their joy for the event, like on the social media page.

He says, "My favorite place to be is at the exit. I like asking people how it went. And I have never gotten a single complaint."

Jason mentioned a story where a boy in high school had no idea what he wanted to do with his career, and his dad brought him out to the airshow, and once he saw the planes and went for a ride in one of them, he found a new passion. "He joined the young eagles, went to an aviation school, and last year [he] joined the Air Force, serving our country." Jones went on to talk about the price, and how it's all for a good cause. He said they don't ask for much, only $5 for parking. He explained that, "you can fit as many people in a car as possible, and it would still only be $5. The event itself

is free. We are just looking for families to come out and have a good time."

Jones mentions that the weather is always a plus. He laughed, revealing, "We pray for it every year. The only time we didn't have perfect weather was last year with a bit of fog, but things still worked out, and people still enjoyed themselves."

Jason says if he could bring anything to the airshow, it would be "Something exotic, something that is interesting and get the kids talking about it.

It is all about family fun."

He estimates between five and seven thousand people had shown up this year to enjoy the food, raffles, and presentation of vehicles. In the next few years, Jason says he plans to "just continue," and add something new every year for the kids. He said that the key part is keeping the kids entertained, finding new hobbies, and having the aviation aspect there for sure.

Jones finished with, "my goal is to get kids excited about something."

Spotlight - Lunar New Year Festivities Keenan Thungtrakul Senior Reporter Friday, Feb. 16, marked this year's Lunar New Year. Featuring dancing, feasting, and reflecting, this holiday is one of the major holidays of the East Asian cultures. Think of it as a second New Year's Day. The holiday has its origins in ancient Chinese cul-

ture that date back centuries and are based on the lunar calendar. This calendar, as the name suggests, is a calendar coordinated by the cycles of the moon. One lunar month is a complete cycle of phases or one orbit of the Moon around Earth. Twelve of these cycles makes up a lunar year.

Traditionally, the holiday meant a time for honoring the Chinese gods as well as

Keenan Thungtrakul/The Avion Newspaper A traditional Chinese lion costume during the Lunar New Year celebrations at the White Sands Buddhist Center.

the ancestors. Last week, The Avion was invited to attend Friday's festivities at the White Sands Buddhist Center by his friends from the weekly meditation group that meets every Monday in the Center for Faith and Spirituality. Located in Mims, the center features a sizable Vietnamese presence and even has three giant Buddha statues that were crafted out of Vietnamese granite and shipped over to the property. There is a standing Buddha, a reclining Buddha, and a sitting Buddha.

The atmosphere leading up to the festival was amiable and continued throughout the festival. Announcements were given in both Vietnamese and English so everyone who attended that afternoon can understand what was going on. The celebrations began with a traditional Chinese lion dance performed by a local dance troupe. The dance originated in Ancient China.

Historians documented it for the first time during the Tang Dynasty (ranging from 618-907 AD). According to tradition, it is believed that a parade for a statue of Buddha was led by a lion to drive away evil spirits. By doing so, this makes room for spirits of good luck to fill the void instead. The dance evolved over centuries to become what it is today.

There are two primary styles of this dance and two main regional differences in how they designed lion costume. The dance performed at the White Sands Center was more of the Southern martial arts style. This style features intense acrobatics and energetic movements. The other kind, the Civil style,

features movements that mimic the character and behavior of the lion. The Southern lion costume features a bright colored paper-mâchÊ head with a layered fur body.

The Northern lion costume comes in either a male or female variant, and the two usually appear together. These original styles are subdivided further, thus creating several unique variants of the dance. All traditions perform the lion dances with musical accompaniment, typically with drums, cymbals, and gongs synchronized with the lion's movements and actions. This particular dance featured the lion eating a plate of lettuce and spitting it out into the crowd.

Nestled inside was a red envelope.

These envelopes are symbols of good luck, and it is believed that this dance will bring good fortune to the party that hosts the dance on this holiday. Everyone who attended the celebration that evening received one of these envelopes. Inside was a dollar, symbolizing the hope that good luck would come upon the recipient this year.

Following the lion dance, everyone filed into the main temple building for a traditional worship session, followed by a dharma talk. This part of the ceremony is when everyone pays their respects to Buddha and hears words of wisdom from the monks, sort of like a modern church service. The service featured six young Japanese Buddhist priests who held their own special worship session before the delivery of the main speech. Afterward, everyone enjoyed a traditional Vietnamese dinner to conclude the night's celebrations.

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Mike’s Maintenance Corner: Common Preflight Squawks

Mike Shekari Staff Reporter

In the general aviation world, there is a multitude of discrepancies, also known as "squawks," that can be caught by pilots during preflight inspections, preventing potential in-flight emergencies or FAA enforcement actions later.

Embry-Riddle maintains their fleet in a way that prevents most squawks before they can occur. However, the rest of the general aviation fleet's maintenance quality can vary greatly. Below are four of the most common, but easy to miss, squawks that rental aircraft fleets see.

Non-compliance with required inspections At a bare minimum, all FAA certificated general aviation aircraft are supposed to receive an annual inspection at the end of every 12 calendar months in service. However, all aircraft used for hire must also be on 100-hour or consecutive inspection cycles. It is essential that these inspections be complied with because it is how companies discover many of the maintenance issues caused by normal operations. Not to mention that if inspections are not adhered to, who knows what other airworthiness items the company

does not follow. Pilots can check for the occurrence of relevant inspection items by either looking through the aircraft logbooks or aircraft information book, which should have copies of the most recent annual/100-hour inspections for the airframe, engine, and propeller, plus the 24-month pitot-static system inspection.

Missing Compass Correction Card The compass correction card is an item easy to miss and forget about in an era of on-board GPS and glass cockpits. However, this is still an essential item in the event of avionics or electrical failure. The compass on an aircraft will not indicate a true magnetic bearing because of ferrous materials in the aircraft's construction and magnetism created by current flow in electrical systems. Compass correction cards list deviations from the magnetic north with the electrical system in various configurations, which allows pilots to compensate and facilitate more accurate navigation using the compass.

Tire Condition There is an old pilot used as a joke for preflights, "kick the tires and light the fires." However, aircraft tires are more important than most people give them credit. It is a terrible day for a pilot when they are rolling down the runway after touchdown, and a tire blows. Airport operations must come out and tow their disabled aircraft off the runway. This issue is easy to prevent by checking the tire pressures before the first flight of every day. However, it is important to note that it cannot be determined how well inflated an aircraft tire is by just look-

ing at it. Aircraft tires can have near zero pressure in them but still look the same as a fully inflated tire, which makes it essential to use a tire pressure gauge. Another indication of habitually under-inflated tires is excessive wear on the outside edges. However, excessive wear on the center of the tire can be an indication of prolonged periods of over inflation. Finally, watch for flat spots on the tires, it can be an indication that pilots are landing with their brakes set, which increases the chances of a tire blowout.

Corrosion Corrosion is the natural enemy to all machinery of metallic construction, and it can affect nearly anything and everything on an aircraft, especially in moist, salt-rich environments like Florida. If you notice corrosion while looking over an aircraft during a preflight inspection, let an aircraft maintenance professional responsible for the aircraft know as soon as possible. By notifying technicians as quickly as possible, they have an opportunity to stop corrosion in its tracks before it gets worse. If left unchecked, corrosion can compromise everything from structural members to electrical wiring, and flight control cables. There have even been instances in the field where I have seen corrosion cause cracks in fuel tanks leading to leaks.

The squawks above are four of the more commonly missed discrepancies found during preflight inspections. However, the list is far from all-inclusive.

There are more aspects of preflight that should not be missed.

The Return of Spring Fever It is that time of year again. The time of the dreaded rush of panic as students struggle to get their work done. The time when the sun shines all day and then sets super early, so you do not get to enjoy it. The time where you only can think about the last couple months until freedom.

Yes, the virus is back and stronger than ever. It is Spring Fever.

The spring semester always seems to pass by a lot faster than in the fall, and it can seem overwhelming, especially when you avoid work in favor of outdoor activities. Spring Fever is the ultimate GPA killer and comes with symptoms of procrastination, laziness, sadness, and impatience.

Sadly, there is no cure for it. Once you catch that sweet taste of summer, there is no going back to the academic plans you made.

Springtime is one of the most popular times of the year and is packed with numerous events, causing time to feel as if it is flying by. Not to mention that springtime usually brings feelings of happiness as the cold dark

days of the winter drift to an end.

This happiness can be confused with the academic abilities of students.

Teachers expect students to work harder with this new found seasonal energy, but end up causing exactly the opposite to happen.

“

Spring Fever is the ultimate GPA killer and comes with symptoms of procrastination, laziness, sadness, and impatience.

“

Abigail Johnson Senior Reporter

Spring fever historically came from scurvy. Scurvy was passed around a lot when the weather got warmer. Obviously, scurvy is not passed around as much anymore, but the term of getting a "spring fever" became popular over time and this eventually led to the feeling of longing and desire to be outside when the weather gets warmer.

In Daytona, unfortunately, ERAU experiences year-long heat and Riddle students suffer from spring fever early on in the year and then continue to feel it later in the fall. A possi-

ble way to cure this may be easier than you think. Historically, eating oranges can help reduce spring fever. Whether they used that tactic for scurvy or not, orange juice strengthens your immune system and

gives you essential vitamins.

Whether you have spring or not, remember to hang in and study hard! Spring are coming up, and all the will be worth it in the end.

fever there finals work

Photo Credit: Trey Henderson

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Air Show Center Melbourne Air & Space Show Melbourne, FL Mar. 24-25, 2018

• The 5th anniversary edition of the Melbourne Air & Space Show. This year will feature the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. _________

Sun’N Fun Fly-in Lakeland, FL Apr. 10-15, 2018

• This event showcases products like jet teams, aerospace related exhibits, educational forums, aircraft statics displays, professional gatherings of aviation and economic development groups, and many more, in Business Services, Railway, Shipping & Aviation industries. _________ The Vero Beach Air Show Vero Beach, FL Apr. 21-22, 2018

• A 501(c)3 charitable event once again sponsored by Piper Aircraft Inc. The U.S. Navy Blue Angel announced that they will perform. _________

FORD Lauderdale Air Show Fort Lauderdale, FL May 5-6, 2018

• The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will headline the 2018 Ford Lauderdale Air Show that will feature military jet demonstrations, parachute teams, civilian aerobatic act and formation flight teams. _________ The National Salute to America’s Heroes, Miami Beach Air & Sea Show South Beach, Miami Beach, FL May 26-27, 2018

• The National Salute to America’s Heroes pre-

sented by Hyundai is a 365-day initiative that launches Memorial Day weekend designed to pay tribute, honor and encourage military and first responder heroes. The Air & Sea Show is a patriotically-infused world-class showcase of military technology and power, military and first responder demonstrations in the air, on the sea and on the land.

This Week in Aviation History Feb. 28, 1947

U.S. Army Air Forces CPT Robert E. Thacker and LT John M. Ard in the P-82 B Twin Mustang, Betty Jo, on a single flight make both the longest nonstop flight without aerial refueling by a fighter aircraft (8,129 km) from Hickam Field, Hawaii to La Guardia Field, New York City, and the fastest flight between Hawaii and New York City up to that time, 14:31:50.

Mar. 2, 1949

Commanded by CPT James G. Gallagher, the crew of 14 aboard the Strategic Air Command B-50A, Lucky Lady II, of the Forty-third Bombardment Group, USAF, completes the first nonstop round-the-world flight of 94:01:00.

Flying a distance of 23,452 miles, the Superfortress is refueled four times by KB-29 tankers before landing back at Carswell AFB, Texas.

Mar. 4, 1945

The B-17 Flying Fortress entered service with the United States Army Air Corps 2nd Bombardment Group.

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Fairing And Fidelity Henry Neiberlien Editor-in-Chief Elon Musk and his company SpaceX never seem to want to stop when it comes to pushing the boundary on what is possible in spaceflight. However, while their most recent stunt was not on the same level of the Falcon Heavy that stunned the world just two short weeks ago, it is still raising eyebrows throughout the aerospace industry.

With the launch of the PAZ satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base California on Thursday, Feb. 22, SpaceX took the opportunity to test two new technologies. The first was a secondary payload on the rocket in the form of two microsatellites named MicroSat 2a and MicroSat 2b, also known internally at SpaceX as Tintin 2a and Tintin 2b.

These two small spacecraft are the first of many thousands in a constellation called Starlink, which SpaceX hopes to assemble soon to provide wireless internet access across the globe. If successful, this would turn SpaceX into the most significant inter-

net service provider in the world, allowing internet connectivity even in the most remote reaches of the globe. Interestingly enough on the FCC registration for the MicroSats, it lists the receiving stations for the spacecraft as all of SpaceX's facilities, such as Hawthorne, CA, Cape Canaveral, FL, McGregor, TX, and even their future launch site in Boca Chica, TX. While SpaceX is expected to use their facilities to test connectivity, what they did not expect is the listing of Tesla's HQ in Palo Alto, CA as well as a couple of vehicles to be included. This seems to hint that Tesla is testing on-the-go connectivity from the satellites with vehicles and might be planning on using SpaceX's Starlink internet to track and update Tesla vehicles. Currently, Tesla cars wirelessly update using existing 4G network infrastructure.

SpaceX also tested another technology in a step towards the full reusability of launch vehicles by attempting to capture and reuse the payload fairing of the Falcon 9 rocket.

Payload fairings traditionally get discarded in spaceflight, along with the rest of the

rocket for that matter, but SpaceX has always tried to recover everything it can from its launches. The fairings in question are SpaceX Fairings 2.0 which have been equipped with parachutes and cold gas thrusters to help them coast safely back to recovery. For the actual recovery, SpaceX has heavily modified an offshore support vessel named Mr. Steven with a large net to catch the fairing on its way back down to Earth.

Unfortunately, the parachutes used on this launch appeared to be not large enough to slow the fairings decently enough for the catch, as Mr. Steven and the SpaceX crew missed snatching the fairings before they hit the water. Fortunately, the fairings landed intact and have been recovered and brought back to shore. Elon Musk has stated that future sets of fairings will be equipped with larger chutes to help make the catch easier next time around. Elon Musk and SpaceX have been full of surprises in an already banner year for the company, and we can only wait and see what surprises they have in store for us in the future.

Second National Space Council Meeting Held at KSC Michael Weinhoffer Staff Reporter On Feb. 21, the second National Space Council meeting occurred at Kennedy Space Center, with a focus on regulatory reform for the commercial space industry. The most recent incarnation of the National Space Council was activated in June by President Trump and had their first meeting in Oct. of last year. The council, under the leadership of Vice President Pence, approved four recommendations to streamline and update the licensing process for commercial space vehicles. These recommendations will significantly benefit the industry in the long run.

Besides the Vice President, 11 members from the Trump administration have permanent seats on the council. These include the Secretaries of State, Defense, Commerce, Transportation, Homeland Security, the Administrator of NASA (currently the Acting Administrator), the Director of the Office of Budget and Management, the Director of National Intelligence, two defense advisors, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The panels also include members of the commercial spaceflight industry. A day before the meeting, Pence announced the members of the National Space Council User Advisory Group, which will provide direct industry input to the council, which itself guides NASA and the commercial space industry. Notable members of the group include Buzz Aldrin, Tony Bruno (ULA CEO), Gwynne Shotwell (SpaceX COO), Bob Smith (Blue Origin CEO), and several other members from the aerospace industry.

The product of the second meeting was a concise list of four recommendations for the federal government to implement that will streamline and update commercial space regulations. The first recommendation is a hefty one: The Department of Transportation, which through the Office of Commercial Space Transportation within the FAA licenses commercial space launches, was ordered to change the

licensing process drastically. Every operator wishing to launch in the U.S., such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, or ULA, must get a new license for each location they want to launch at and for each vehicle. The process must be modified so that an operator can launch from any location with any launch vehicle variant under one license with an expiration date. This change will allow for quicker licensing, and perhaps a quicker launch cadence. However, regulations will need to be modified, and that takes a long time. The due date of this recommendations is March 1, 2019. That may seem like a while to change some regulations, but that is a tight timeline in the rulemaking world. We will have to see if the DOT can pull it off in that time.

Various policy issues related to the commercial space industry, such as remote sensing, are currently addressed by the Office of Space Commerce within the Department of Commerce. The second recommendation of the council is the consolidation of these responsibilities into the Office of the Secretary of Commerce, which is a higher authority within the department. This recommendation is part of the effort to reduce the licensing responsibilities of the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, which is under-budgeted and given less attention to than the regulation of commercial aviation. Now the Office of Commercial Space Transportation will solely issue licenses for commercial space launches and reentries, with the Department of Commerce taking over the mandatory application

reviews. A legislative proposal that will ultimately give the DOC a massive boost in their responsibilities with regards to the industry is due on July 1.

The third recommendation calls on the National Telecommunication and Information Administration and the Federal Communications Commission, which both have the most authority over a U.S. spacecraft once it is in orbit, to implement radio spectrum policies that will make the commercial space industry more globally competitive. Next year, the ITU will discuss radio frequency allocations specifically for commercial space activities at their quadrennial meeting in Geneva. The third recommendation relates to this upcoming action, but besides that, it is quite vague and lacks substance.

The final recommendation calls on Scott Pace, the Executive Secretary of the council, to initiate a review of export control regulations for commercial space activities. The last significant reform to export controls for the industry was in 2014, and while that reform has seen support, there are still improvements to be made. The review is due by Jan. 1 of next year.

While the topics discussed at the meeting are nothing new to the industry, it is great to see some action taken on them.

These recommendations will help streamline the regulatory process for commercial space activities. Overall, the second meeting of the National Space Council was a success, and the suggestions will help the industry continue to flourish while not being hindered by outdated regulations.

Photo Courtesy: NASA The second National Space Council meeting at Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida, Feb. 21, 2018.

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Is it Legal Theft?

Chirag Mehrotra Correspondent Nearly a month ago, Amazon allowed customers to experience its newest venture, the Amazon Go store. Located in the heart of Seattle, the store of the future features cashier-less billing which enables customers to skip the long lines to check out. The only thing the customer has to do is scan the QR code associated with their Amazon Go account when they enter the store.

“

Amazon even lets the customers keep the items that were not paid for but were able to take out of the store since failures like those are incredibly minute.

“

As soon as the customer enters, Amazon starts tracking them with a hundred cameras peppered across the ceiling. It

keeps a running tally of everything the user has picked up and adds it onto a virtual shopping cart, and it can also take it off if the customer decides to put it back on the shelf. Not only that, but Amazon also installed numerous sensors under the shelves that can measure the change of weight when a customer picks up an item.

When the customer is finished shopping, they can just walk out of the store and Amazon will bill the credit card associated with the Amazon Go account. It will then send a push notification containing the receipt of the purchases made, the time spent in the store, and also provide an option to fix any mistakes the system might have made.

Amazon claims the systems they have in their stores is nearly foolproof, to an extent at which if they make a mistake, such as a customer gets charged for something they did not buy, Amazon will refund the money for that item. Amazon even lets the customers keep the items that were not paid for but were able to take out of the store since failures like those are incred-

ibly minute. There are no cashiers at the store or any checkout areas because Amazon charges the customer automatically upon exit. This setup gives the customer a walk-in and walk-out experience where they can purchase whatever they need and simply walk out the door without having to wait in long lines to pay. This expedites the checkout process, and the customer can walk in, get everything they need, and walk out all in less than 10 minutes with no human interaction at all.

The only drawbacks to this new venture are that you need to have a relatively new smartphone, have the Amazon Go app installed, and live near Seattle.

It only accepts credit cards and does not allow any other forms of payment. It also brings up the issue of jobs, the more automation we have, the more jobs we lose. All in all, the Amazon's newest venture: the Amazon Go store is a success of sorts as it makes use of existing technologies to revolutionize how customers shop at grocery stores and explore the future regarding how humans shop.

Scotland’s Final Straw Environmentalists are known for being a passionate group of people. Some are more zealous than others but, in the end, they all have the same goal: Save the planet. Here in the United States, there is not a day that goes by where the saying "global warming" is absent. Several past suggestions have taken root here on our side of the Atlantic when it comes to conservation efforts, but nothing quite like Scotland.

A recent television series featured by BBC called "Blue Planet II" has caused a wave, bringing to light the devastation and havoc plastics have on marine life. Scottish Environmental Secretary Roseanna Cunningham spoke with Sunday Mail on the topic. Cunningham says she would "like to see more single-use plastics banned as a means of tackling marine pollution." Scottish Parliament has begun the process of single-plastic banning with "cotton buds," more commonly known as Q-tips. They also began the banning of straws within the Scottish Parliament; their end goal is the entire nation. The current plan is to have cotton buds banned by the end of this year, with plastic straws to follow suit in 2019. According to independent.co.uk, Wetherspoon and Wagamama ended their use of plastic straws as a "strong desire to tackle the issue" of plastic pollution. This ban is quickly becoming known as the "Final Straw" campaign.

Being rid of something as simple as a plastic straw, however, is not a simple notion. Alternative solutions are not easy to come across. Cunningham mentions to Sunday mail that Parliament has appointed an expert panel to advise on other methods that could be used to supplement plastic straws. One of the suggestions was inducing costs. This suggestion has proven to work in the past with plastic bags, charging five Pence per plastic bag. Although $0.07 doesn't seem like a lot, plastic bag waste has dropped by 85% on Scottish beaches.

With every significant notation, comes

great responsibility, and this campaign is no different. Uneasiness with this movement came from the BBC network themselves. "One in Five," a group who advocates for disabled people in the U.K., spoke on the subject.

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Scotland will be the first nation in the U.K. to outlaw the sale and manufacturing of single-use plastic materials,

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Vanessa Burkett Correspondent

One in Five explains that the possible paper and plant matter alternatives to plastic straws may not prove flexible enough for disabled people with larger cups to drink from and can cause a choking hazard. Metal straws can also be dan-

gerous to people with neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease. MSP Kate Forbes addressed their concerns, having a family member herself who has a disability and sides with One in five on this. Forbes recognizes their trepidations and wants to make the new alternative " readily and easily available."

If they find a successful solution, Scotland will be the first nation in the U.K. to outlaw the sale and manufacturing of single-use plastic materials, especially cotton buds, the most common waste on beaches.

Scottish Parliament's decision on the matter has gained tremendous momentum, in hopes that the future will be a definite juxtaposition to its current circumstances. Calum Duncan, Head of Conservation at the Marine Conservation Society told the Sunday Mail, "we are delighted by the announcement. We hope other countries will now follow suit."

Launch Control Center ULA Atlas V GOES-S

Mar. 1 @ 5:02 PM Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Space Launch Complex 41

ISS Sightings Feb. 27

5:41 A.M.- Visible for three minutes, the ISS will rise from 45° above WNW, reach its highest point at 49°, and will disappear 12° above NNE.

Feb. 28

4:51 A.M. - Visible for one minute, the ISS will rise from 20° above NE, reach its highest point at 20°, and will disappear 11° above NE.

Feb. 28

6:26 A.M. - Visible for less than one minute, the ISS will rise from 10° above NW, reach its highest point at 10°, and will disappear 10° above NNW.

Mar. 1

5:34 A.M. - Visible for two minutes, the ISS will rise from 17° above NNW, reach its highest point at 17°, and will disappear 10° above N.

This Week in Space History Feb. 27, 1960 Third Echo Balloon Test: A100ft diameter inflatable sphere successfully launched on third suborbital test to an altitude of 225 miles, from NASA Wallops Station, Va. Feb. 28, 1959 RVX-1 Re-entry Vehicle Test: In the first use of a Thor as a space booster, the world’s first polar orbiting satellite, Discoverer I, was launched.

Mar. 1, 1954 Atlas Propulsion System Work Begins: Work on MA-2 propulsion system for Atlas by Rocketdyne was begun, drawing upon the experience in developing the regeneratively cooled chamber.

Mar. 2, 1949 Birth of Fred Parker Jr Lewis: American meteorologist payload specialist astronaut, 1985.

Mar. 3, 1915 National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) founded.

Photo Courtesy: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 Blue Planet II is a recent BBC television series that brought to light the devastation and havoc plastics have on marine life.

Mar. 3, 1915 Headquarters ARDC assigned Weapon System Number WS 133A to Minuteman and later the new system was given Strategic Missile Number 80 (SM-80).

Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh/The Avion Newspaper

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Upcoming Games: Tuesday Softball vs American International ERAU Softball Field @ 4:00 p.m.

Baseball vs Flagler ERAU Baseball Field @ 6:00 p.m.

Softball vs American International ERAU Softball Field @ 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Women’s Lacrosse vs Davenport ERAU Lacrosse Field @5:00 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs TBA TBA @ 7:00 p.m.

Thursday

NO GAMES

Friday

Softball vs Saint Leo ERAU Softball Field @ 7:00 p.m.

Saturday

Softball vs Saint Leo ERAU Softball Field @ 1:00 p.m.

Softball vs Saint Leo ERAU Softball Field @ 3:00 p.m.

Sunday

NO GAMES

Monday

NO GAMES

Sports

February

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Breaking Bounds With Rebounds

Ryan Mosher ERAU Athletics

Elijah Jenkins hit a three with 1.6 seconds left in regulation to send the Embry-Riddle men's basketball game against Florida Tech in overtime on Wednesday night, and then the freshman hit another triple with 26 seconds to go in OT to break a tie and send the Eagles to their first road win of the season, 86-79.

The Eagles (11-16, 5-14 SSC) outscored the Panthers (12-15, 7-12 SSC) 13-6 in the extra period, including a 6-for-6 effort from the charity stripe, to snap a five-game losing streak.

ERAU forced OT on Jenkins' three right before the end of regulation after the Panthers had gone up 73-70 on a pair of free throws from Antonis Pefanis with 19 seconds to play. The Eagles had three shots from deep to try and tie it, first Rudy Bibb-Boyd, then Joshua Hawkins came up short, but offensive rebounds on both shots kept the Eagles' hopes alive, and Jenkins buried his fourth three of the night to tie the game at 73-73.

Jordan Majors, who finished with a game-high 32 points for FIT, made a layup to open the scoring in overtime, but Hawkins answered with a runner before Bibb-Boyd put the Eagles up 77-75 with a tough jumper in front of the Eagles' bench.

After Sam Daniel made a pair of free throws tied it, the Panthers got another Majors bucket to take a 79-77 lead, but Nashad Mackey, in the midst of his 21st double-double of the season, calmly sank two free throws with 1:52 to play tp again

knot things up.

Two straight defensive stops preceded the Jenkins three that proved to be the game-winner as he tied a season-high with 17 points on his fifth triple of the contest.

ERAU got the stop they wanted with 13 seconds to go and Mackey made two free throws before the Eagles again got a stop and Brian Johnson sealed the game with two more from the stripe, accounting for the 86-79 final.

The Eagles got off to a slow start Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh/The Avion Newspaper in the first half, falling behind Number 40, Luka Majstorovic, fights for his position in the post to get his shot. by as many as a dozen late in the opening period, 30-18. ERAU including Jenkins' three at the end went on a 21-8 run over the next five to send the game to OT. minutes to take a 39-38 lead before Bibb-Boyd finished with 22 points Darius Wright hit a jumper at the for the Eagles, playing all 45 minbuzzer to give FIT a one-point lead utes, while Mackey had 21 points, 13 heading into the break. rebounds and four assists and Jenkins Each team held modest leads in went for 17 points and five boards. the second half, the Eagles by as Mackey broke the ERAU single-seamany as seven and the hosts by as son rebounding record with his third many as five, as both teams seemed rebound early in the game and now to answer every run of the other, stands at 337 total for the season.

Eagles Fly Circles Over Panthers Ryan Mosher ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle women's basketball came away from the Clemente Center with a 59-48 win over Florida Tech on Wednesday, marking the Eagles' first win on the Panthers' home court. Wednesday's result also gave the four-year-old women's basketball program its first 20-win season, as the Eagles improved to 20-6 overall and 14-5 in Sunshine State Conference play.

Despite playing limited minutes due to foul trouble, Tara Fields vaulted to the top of the Eagles' single-season scoring list as her gamehigh 14 points put her at 388 for the 2017-18 campaign, eclipsing Sabrina Whiting's 383 points in 2015-16.

Reigning SSC Player of the Week Lauren Ellenberger was one rebound shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine boards, while Nikki Tucker matched Fields with 14 points on the night.

Neither side shot the ball particularly well in the first half with the Eagles connecting on 38.3 percent (10- of-27) of their shot attempts and

the Panthers going 7-of-29 from the field. The Panthers held a slim 12-11 lead at the end of the first quarter, but they were outscored 11-5 by the Eagles, who took a 22-17 lead into the halftime break.

In the first half, the Eagles managed just two long-range baskets.

In the third period alone, the Blue and Gold were 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. Tucker opened the third with her first trey of the game, and a Fields layup quickly extended the lead to 10 points (27-17) in the first 1:16 of the period. The Panthers managed to come within six points (27-21), but two more threes

by Tucker, and one three each from Ellenberger and Morgan Ackermann quickly widened the gap to 18 (41-23) late in the third.

After not making a single free throw attempt in the first three periods, free throws were the story of the final frame for the Eagles who scored 15 of their 18 fourth-quarter points from the charity stripe.

Tucker's three at the 6:48 mark was the only field goal for an ERAU team that was 1-of-7 from the field in the final 10 minutes of play.

The Panthers, who were 7-of-21 from the field and 3-of-11 from long range in the fourth, made it a seven-point (55-48) game on Markeema Crawford's three with 1:45 left to play, but those were the Panthers' last points of the game as two free throws each from Sabrina Whiting and Sigrid Sandstrom sealed the win for the Blue and Gold.

Crawford was the Panthers' high scorer with 13 as Florida Tech dropped to 11-14 overall and 8-11 in the league with the loss.

"Tonight was a tough road win for us, and we found a way to get it done," ERAU Head Coach Lisa Nuxol-Wilson said. "FIT is a physical, athletic team and they played hard down the stretch and made us earn the win.

"We didn't shoot the ball extremely well, and we missed a lot of open shots, and had way too many turnovers. However, we worked hard on defense and stuck with our game plan. Lauren made some big defensive plays and took three charges, and Nikki shot well from the three, which got us some momentum when we needed it."

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Baseball Drops SSC Opener Ryan Mosher ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle baseball team suffered its first home loss of the season on Friday night, dropping a 10-5 decision to visiting Nova Southeastern at Sliwa Stadium in both team’s Sunshine State Conference (SSC) opener. The Eagles (6-2, 0-1 SSC) lost their seventh straight to NSU (4-4, 1-0 SSC) as the Sharks kept adding on runs over the second half of the game and the Eagles failed to make up the difference against the NSU pen.

The Eagles’ Cody Crouse and Sharks’ Devin Conn matched zeroes through the first two innings, each pitcher getting a double play to escape jams in the early going, but ERAU caught a break in the bottom of the third when an awkward hop

off a Jake Malone batted ball skipped past NSU’s second baseman Andrew Labosky, allowing Kyle Guttveg to score from second after he had doubled earlier in the inning for a 1-0 Eagle lead.

The ERAU advantage did not last long as the Sharks plated two runs in the fourth, the first on an Ian Acevedo single up the middle, plating Jake Anchia to tie things up. Acevedo then stole second and moved to third on a throwing error, later scoring on another fielding error for a 2-1 lead, a lead the Sharks would not give back the rest of the night.

Andrew Liberty tagged Crouse for a two-run homer in the fifth to take the lead to 4-1, and Conn continued to stifle the Eagle batters on his end.

The Sharks got two more runs in the seventh off of Joey Gerber, pushing the score

to 7-1 before Zach Howard led off the last of the inning with his sixth home run of the year, the Eagles’ first hit since Malone’s back in the third. The Eagles loaded the bases against Conn later in the inning, but a ground ball to third led to a force out to end the threat with NSU leading 7-2.

Labosky and Liberty each collected RBIs in the eighth, making it 9-2 in favor of the visitors, but the Blue and Gold answered in the bottom of the inning, starting with a Kyle Marsh single down the left field line against new NSU pitcher Brock Minich. Luis Olivier followed with a single to put runners on the corners, and two batters later, Cole Habig singled through the left side for an RBI knock.

Justin Franklin collected a two-run double to make it 9-5, chasing Minich from the game and bringing Guttveg to the plate.

Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh/The Avion Newspaper A batter for the ERAU baseball team contemplates his next move up to bat.

Guttveg drew a walk before Peter Gomez pinch hit for the Eagles. During Gomez’s at-bat, Franklin and Guttveg attempted to advance on a ball that popped out of the catcher Anchia’s glove, but the throw from Anchia to third base and the tag by Acevedo was ruled to be in time by the field umpire, resulting in the second out and killing the Eagle rally.

A bases-loaded sac fly for the Sharks in the 9th accounted for the final run of the game before the Eagles went 1-2-3 against NSU’s Joe Strzelecki to end the contest.

Conn (2-1) got the win in seven innings of work, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts, while Crosue (1-1) received the loss in six innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits and four Ks. Olivier and Habig each had two hits, while Franklin recorded two RBIs.

Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh/The Avion Newspaper Samuel Brunnig winds up on the pitcher’s mound, hoping to strike out the batter.

Softball’s First Double-Header Luke Halgerson ERAU Athletics Softball finally returned to Embry-Riddle as the softball team had their first home games of the season on Wednesday evening. The Eagles swept the doubleheader, defeating the Adelphi University Panthers 9-1 (six innings) in game one and 8-7 in game two. The Blue and Gold improved to 8-2 overall and have won six straight games, while the Panthers dropped to 0-6 Game 1 The Eagles’ bats came alive in the early going, scoring five runs in the second inning. B. Limon got things started with a two-RBI double, knocking in Katy Thompson and Mariana Pereira. Limon scored thanks to a Lisa Hop RBI triple to left center increasing the lead to 3-0. Kailah Rain picked up the final two RBI’s with single to center. ERAU tacked on another run in the fourth on an RBI triple by Rain.

The Blue and Gold finished the game early in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs in the frame. Scott singled to center field; K. Rain had an infield single to advance Scott to second. Peqe Lopez

walked to load the bases with no outs.

Pereira reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Scott. Lopez out at second 2b to ss; K. Rain advanced to third; M. Scott scored. Rain scored on a wild pitch while Pereira scored the final run of the frame on a fielding error by the Panthers.

Ilona Andringa (5-2) picked up the win for the Eagles in game one. She pitched four innings, allowed one run off six hits and struck out two. Jayla Jackson pitched the final two innings surrounding one hit in the seven batters she faced. Four different Eagles had at least one RBI. Kailah Rain was superb at the dish, going 3-4, hitting a triple and three RBI’s. Pereira went 2-4 with two runs, an RBI, and one stolen base. Lisa Hop went 1-3, scoring one run and picked up one RBI. Limon went 1-4 with a double, one run and two RBI’s.

Game 2 Embry-Riddle continued the impressive day at the plate as ERAU scored six runs in the bottom of the second. Destiny Carroll picked up and RBI thanks to a bases-loaded walk. Limon scored due to a wild pitch.

Eryn Chester picked up an RBI to bring in Pereira. Maggie Scott tallied two more

runs for the Eagles with a two-RBI triple to left field. Scott would come around to score due to a groundout by Rain.

However, Adelphi ignored the deficit as they scratched and clawed their way back in the game. The Panthers scored one run in the top of the third on an RBI single.

Adelphi tied in the game in the fourth, scoring four times to make things even at 6-6. The Blue and Gold regained the in the bottom of the fourth after a costly error by the Panthers shortstop, allowing Peqe Lopez to score. Adelphi tied the game again the top of the sixth with an RBI triple to right center.

With the scored tied at seven going into the bottom of the sixth, the Eagles saw their chance to secure the victory. Lopez reached on a fielding error by the Panthers pitching and advanced to second because of a wild pitch. Thompson singled to left field advancing Lopez to third. Limon capitalized on the opportunity hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Lopez. Adelphi could not score in their half of the seventh, giving the Eagles the 8-7 win.

Jayla Jackson (2-0) was the winning pitcher in the contest. Jackson pitched four innings, surrendered three runs off four hits while striking out three. Pege Lopez

went 2-4 at the plate and scored two runs.

Maggie Scott was 1-4, scoring once and knocking in two RBI’s. Destiny Carroll went 1-2, scoring one run and one RBI. The Embry-Riddle softball team played the first game of a three-game series against the Nova Southeastern Sharks on Friday evening. The Eagles struggled offensively as they fell to the Sharks 3-0.

ERAU moves to 8-3 overall and 3-1 in Sunshine State Conference play, while Nova Southeastern improves to 7-9 and 2-2 in conference play.

The Eagles could not generate any offense, tallying only one hit and two base runners in the contest. Destiny Carroll managed to draw a walk in the bottom of the third to end a perfect game by the Sharks pitcher. Kailah Rain picked up the lone hit for the Eagles as she went 1-3 with a single in the bottom of the seventh, ending a no-hitter. This is the second time this season that the Eagles failed to score a run.

Ilona Andringa (5-3) picked up the loss for the Eagles. She pitched a complete game, allowed three runs (all earned) off four hits and struck out ten batters. The loss snapped the Blue and Gold’s six-game winning streak and was the first conference loss of the season.

Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper

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MOTORSPORTS

Upcoming Races: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NASCAR CWTS Race at Las Vegas Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 2 at 9:00 p.m.

NASCAR XFINITY Series Boyd Gaming 300 Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 3 at 4:00 p.m.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 4 at 3:30 p.m.

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Mobile 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Sebring International Raceway March 17 at 10:40 p.m.

FIA Formula E Championship 2018 Mexico City E-Prix Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez March 3 TBA

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An Interview With Joey Gase Rajan Khanna News Editor A lot of hard-working teams do not receive the recognition they deserve.

Smaller teams put a lot of time and effort into creating competitive race cars compared to larger teams. The Avion Newspaper had a chance to interview one of the small teams, and get an inside look at how Go Green Racing operates and their outlook for the PowerShares QQQ 300 at Daytona.

Go Green Racing is a NASCAR Xfinity Series team based in Mooresville, North Carolina. They started in 2009 and competed in what was then the Nationwide Series. They expanded to the Sprint Cup Series in 2012 with the No. 79 car. In 2014, they closed the Nationwide Series operation and merged full time with Go FAS Racing who fields the No. 32 car in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Just this year, they went back to their roots and brought in Joey Gase to drive the No. 35 Chevrolet during the Xfinity Series.

25-year-old driver, Joey Gase has competed in both the Xfinity Series and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. He has driven for many teams including BK Racing, Premium Motorsports, and Go FAS Racing. He has won many championships at tracks around the country.

This interview took place before the start of the PowerShares QQQ 300.

The Avion Newspaper: How did the car feel in practice today?

Joey Gase: It felt really good. We're really happy since we are a brandnew team and we did not know what to expect. We are hoping to do really well. We ended up ninth in final practice doing mock runs, so we are really pleased with that.

Q: Did you get any drafting practice?

JG: No, we did not. We wanted to make sure we kept the car safe and did not have a chance of a wreck. We have our best car here so we did not draft at all, but from what other drivers are saying, we think we will be fine, and we'll leave some adjustability in the car.

Q: Did the car feel stable?

JG: Oh yeah. By ourselves, it was stable. The guys that did draft said that some were a little loose and some were

a little tighter than normal because they changed the package a little bit from last year, so that was to be expected.

Q: Did you watch the ARCA and Camping World Truck races to see what you could expect in your race?

JG: I did watch them, but you can't learn much from them since the cars are so different from the way the motors are and the way the bodies are. The biggest differences are in the Cup Series; they don't have a ride height rule or rear spring rule so the back of those cars are as low as they can put them, whereas we still have the rear spring rule and ride height rule. We learn some from it, but I watched the Xfinity races from last year to learn as much as I could.

Q: What was your favorite story about your Cup Series starts?

JG: We ran the Daytona 500 last year, and we ended up 23rd and were the highest finisher of my team.

Q: What did you learn from running the 2017 Daytona 500?

JG: Just be smart. Those cars are different. Learning how to get down on pit road under green and stuff like that.

You have to more of that in the Cup cars than you do with these (Xfinity Series) cars since the races are longer, so the likelihood of that happening is higher. It's still a big learning curve, and you just have to learn how each car is because your car is a little different.

Q: What is your favorite track?

JG: I love the superspeedways, and I love the short tracks. I really like Daytona and Talladega since I've had success at both of them and I really like the short tracks like Iowa Speedway, Phoenix, Martinsville. Those are my favorite tracks to go to for sure. I really like how you have to drive them.

Q: I heard you also liked New Smyrna Speedway just down the road.

JG: Yeah! I raced there when I was younger in late models, Pro-Cup cars, and stuff like that. I used to race Speedweeks down there, which they're just getting done with now. I actually hold a track record down there in the Pro-Cup Series. I've been there a lot, and it's a really cool track.

Q: What is your favorite memory from New Smyrna Speedway?

JG: Probably just racing during Speedweeks in 2009. It was just me,

FIA Formula 1 World Championship Formula 1 Rolex Austrailian Grand Prix

Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit March 25 TBA

Verizon INDYCAR Series Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Streets of St. Petersburg March 11 at 12:30 p.m.

Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper

Photo Courtesy: Motorsport.com

my dad, and my uncle on the crew and just driving. We did the whole week without a scratch on the car, and we ended up fifth in the points. Everyone else had huge haulers and backup cars, and we did not have the luxury of those. We had to make sure we took care of our equipment for every race, and we did really well.

Q: If you could bring NASCAR to any track, which one would you bring it to?

JG: I'd probably say Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids Iowa just because it's my home track. That's where I grew up at, The track always puts on awesome races, and when the old ASA Series went there, they would put on awesome shows and pack the place.

Q: For the race tomorrow (PowerShares QQQ 300), how do you think the race will go and how the drivers will act?

JG: It's anyone's guess. The race last year had a lot of crazy stuff going on and a lot of crashes, but now it's a whole different race with a different package, so you never know. Some superspeedway races can go with no cautions, and some others have them every ten laps, so you never know.

Q: Do you think anything from the ARCA race will transfer to the Xfinity race?

JG: Not a whole lot. Those cars are completely different and the experience level of those drivers is completely different as well. The way those cars drafted was also very different. They could barely go three-wide, while we could do it with no problem.

Q: What are your expectations for the rest of the season?

JG: Superspeedways are completely different ball games than other tracks.

We can qualify and run in the top-20 or top-15. We'll just keep working on what we got to make it better.

Joey qualified in the 19th position for the PowerShares QQQ 300. He ran extremely well and constantly battled for position. Unfortunately, he was caught up in a massive crash on Lap 121 and finished 33rd. He will race again at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Boyd Gaming 300. The Avion Newspaper wishes the best of luck on the rest of NASCAR Xfinity Series season for Joey Gase, Go Green Racing, and their sister team, Go Fas Racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

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Mmm...That New Car Smell Christopher Weil Correspondent With the first race of the 2018 Formula 1 season one month away, teams are beginning to reveal their challengers, starting with Haas F1's VF-18 and Williams Martini Racing’s FW41.

Along with the cars, there are some new details about Mercedes' new 2018 engine. The cars, for starters, are heavily improved versions of their 2017 entries, featuring more aggressive aerodynamics and updates to follow new rule changes, but the new Mercedes engine is completely redesigned and definitely an engineering marvel.

One highly controversial rule change involves the introduction of the Halo; a warped T of carbon fiber that's meant to help protect the driver's head from debris. Williams did an impressive job at incorporating their Halo into

their car's overall design by adjusting their livery to flow with it. This, in turn, makes it appear as though the halo is less of a safety device and more of a design choice. Haas, however, did not attempt to hide their halo, and instead appeared to hope that it just blends into the background.

Haas claims that the largest change to their car is simply chassis weight distribution. They feel that last season, one of their weaknesses was not getting the most out of their car due to improper weight distribution. Along with this change, they have improved upon an aerodynamic choice in Ferrari’s 2017 car which had various wings in front of their side pods. Often seen as a Ferrari Junior team, Haas will once again be powered by Ferrari with their 2018 engine. Ferrari recently boasted about hitting their reliability targets for 2018, as one new rule is that teams are

Photo Courtesy: motorsport.com The R.S. 18 is Renault Sport Formula One team’s car for the Formula One 2018 season. The updated black and yellow livery features yellow accents on the front wing as well as a yellow outlined number on the engine cover.

only allowed three engines per season.

If they go over this number, they will incur grid-spot penalties.

Williams, which had its engineers spurred along by former Mercedes technical chief Paddy Lowe, made significant changes to their aerodynamics, as that is where the team struggled the most last year. Paddy Lowe was the Executive Director at Mercedes F1 from 2013 to 2017, so there is no denying that he will be bringing some vital information with him to Williams. Lowe claims that he wants to guide Williams in a new direction and pursue a very different aerodynamic concept. Given that Williams will once again be using the latest Mercedes engine to power their car, the expectations are that this car will be a serious contender in the upper field.

Mercedes has been building the most powerful and efficient engines in For-

mula 1 since 2014, and this year looks to be no different. In late 2017, they remarked that their engine had a thermal efficiency of 50%. Thermal efficiency is a calculation involving the amount of useful energy that is produced from a given heat input. For context, the average road car has a thermal efficiency of about 20%. Mercedes claims that their 2018 engine is pretty well all new, and that they have been sourcing new materials and designs that not only increase power but reliability as well.

As the days go by, more teams will be revealing their cars and details on their engines. Ferrari and Mercedes will be the two teams to watch, and both will unveil their challengers on Feb. 22. As the first official testing session for all of the cars is Feb. 26, all teams will have to show the aces up their sleeves by then. Hopefully, we are in for one good season.

Photo Courtesy: McLaren McLaren introduced the MCL33 with a brand-new power unit supplier for the Formula One 2018 season. The team listened to their fans and brought back the much-anticipated papaya-orange paint scheme with blue accents.

Photo Courtesy: Red Bull Racing Daniel Ricciardo drives the RB14 chassis during a rainy test session at Silverstone. The paint scheme that Red Bull introduced is similar to the RB11 chassis driven by Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel in Jerez during preseason testing in Feb. 2015. Although Red Bull has said that this will not be their final livery design, fan appreciation for the blue-and-white camouflage paint scheme may cause this beautiful design to be the permanent livery for 2018.

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The Annihilation of a Plot Line Every so often, there comes a movie that stands out from the others. One that utilizes visual effects to the degree that has people have not seen before this point. With Avatar in 2009, Arrival in 2016, and now Annihilation in 2018, the CGI of the movie industry keeps pulling out all of the stops.

The movie Annihilation follows the former soldier, wife, and Biology Professor at John Hopkins, Lena, played

by Natalie Portman, as she struggles to deal with the possible death of her husband and trying to figure out what happened to him. In the pursuit of her quest, she gets the chance to go into what's called The Shimmer.

The Shimmer looks like an ever-expanding bubble that consumes more and more square footage every day; everyone that has stepped into it has not come back alive. Lena and three other female scientists explore The Shimmer each with a different goal in mind: Lena, to avenge her husband, Dr. Ventress, the leader of the group, because she wants to understand it, and the other women because they have no other reason to live.

The group trudges through the forest within The Shimmer getting closer to the lighthouse, losing track of time and their minds in the process. Their bodies compositions start changing and so does the landscape around them, creating magnificent and terrifying creatures and plants that reek of death for those who are not careful enough.

Lena, the physicist of the group, Josie Radek, and Cass Shepard, the anthropologist, struggle to understand the

phenomena around them while meeting resistance from the paramedic on the team, Anya, and Dr. Ventress' urge to move forward as fast as possible.

The CGI in the movie was astounding and used in so many different ways throughout the film; but, in a way that was the movie's downfall. They overused CGI when they could have used real shots instead, sadly CGI is not to the point where you cannot distinguish it from real life, so the overuse did take away from the visual effect of the movie.

The other thing that took away from the movie's sound points was the fact that there was no character development. Anya is portrayed in one of her final scenes as if she has been going crazy the whole time; however, there isn't evidence to support this because the actress stayed wholly pushed to the background besides for a couple of scenes.

“

The other thing that took away from the movie’s sound points was the fact that there was no character development.

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Samantha Stirmel Business Manager

Dr. Ventress is also supposed to be gradually eaten away by cancer during this trip into The Shimmer, but there is no evidence of this shown in the movie whatsoever. It seems like the entire film focuses squarely on Natalie Portman with little blimps of the other characters that shine through at weird moments.

The director seems to want you to have an emotional reaction to the deaths and the loss of the characters but sets nothing up for you to have any connection to them whatsoever.

Annihilation

Loot Boxes at Risk: Four Bills in Congress Following the controversy of Electronic Arts' (EA) Star Wars: Battlefront II, the video game industry has received backlash against loot boxes from gamers and reviewers all over the world.

Apparently, lawmakers in Hawaii were no exception. In the last two weeks, said lawmakers have put forth four different bills that would limit, or even prevent, the sale of video games with loot boxes included in-game to minors and require that the developers and publishers of the video game disclose on the game case that there were loot

Image Courtesy: The Verge An example of a loot box from the game “Overwatch.”

boxes included in the video game.

The first pair of the four bills is House Bill 2686 and Senate Bill 3024. If these two bills were to pass, they would restrict video game retailers from selling minors video games that included a system that allows for players to purchase loot boxes or any form of randomized rewards. The bills define a retailer as anyone who distributes games via the internet or through actual stores. It is unclear whether or not if this definition means only just online sellers, such as Amazon, or if it also includes other digital sellers/distributors such as Origin and Steam. If these bills pass, it will carry similar age-based restrictions to that of alcohol.

The second pair of bills, House Bill 2727 and Senate Bill 3025, would require publishers to openly disclose the probabilities of winning each randomized item that loot boxes contain.

The laws would allow for Hawaii's state Department of Commerce to audit the code of video games to confirm the rates of appearance of individual awards.

The bills read that that the industry's modern reward system "employ predatory mechanisms that are designed to exploit human psychology to compel players to keep sending money in a similar way that casino games are designed."

The items featured in loot boxes are said to have similar effects in regards to "psychological, addictive, and financial risks

as gambling [does]," states the bills.

The bills go on to say that "Unlike traditional card games or other games of chance, the ubiquitous reach of video games which require active, lengthy participation and exposure to the psychological manipulation techniques of exploitive loot boxes and gambling-like mechanisms presents potentially harmful risks to the financial well-being and mental health of individuals and especially of vulnerable youth and young adults."

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If these two bills were to pass, they would restrict video game retailers from selling minors video games that included... loot boxes or any form of randomized rewards.

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Brandon Collins Copy Editor

The bill argues that "Unlike at casinos, there is rarely disclosure of the odds of winning items of value in loot boxes or in-game gambling-like mechanics," the bill said. "There are no gaming commissions to ensure players are being treated fairly and not exploited by gambling-like mechanics which do not pay out as advertised."

House Bill 2727 goes on to state that because publishers are known to release updates after their games are

released, "no video game publisher shall at any time modify a game to contain or otherwise permit the inclusion of additional content for which the game was not appropriately labeled at the time of original sale."

The Entertainment Software Rating Board, otherwise known as the ESRB, does not view the loot box system as "gambling." The Board is best known for the fact that they apply an age rating system to all video games, and feel that it would be against their interest to call the loot box system gambling because it would hurt individual publishers' bottom lines of profit.

In reply to these bills, the ESRB said that "while there's an element of chance in these mechanics, the player is always guaranteed to receive in-game content (even if the player, unfortunately, receives something they do not want)."

They feel that because the loot boxes are "a voluntary feature," meaning that players do not have to participate, it is ultimately "the gamer's decision [on whether or not they want to] enhance their in-game experience."

Whether or not these bills will pass is unknown. If they do, whether or not they will spark similar laws in other states/countries is also unknown. These bills have the potential to set a groundwork that the likes of which the video game industry has not seen since the creation of the ESRB in the early 1990s.

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The End of the F***ing World Nicholas Hernandez Webmaster

Photo Courtesy : Netflix Characters James and Alyssa walk home from school together hours before their world ends.

"The End of the F***ing World" is a newer addition to the Netflix Original series line up. This show is a binge-worthy show. There are only eight episodes, each running about 21 minutes long. The show revolves around two high school students, James and Alyssa, who run away from home and leave a trail of destructive breadcrumbs behind them. The show takes place in the modern day in the United Kingdom. It is a comedy/drama, and rightfully so. It has a very dark undertone with some dark humor thrown in here and there.

The show's plot primarily focuses on James, a 17-year old, self-diagnosed psychopath who finds killing animals as a way to release stress.

When Alyssa and James start their journey, the show begins splitting the story into both their perspectives and gives the viewers both ends of a semi-psychotic relationship. While the show takes place in the 21st century, the show has a very retro theme.

Considering the protagonists are only

teenagers, I believe the acting on their part was above par, and the rest of the cast as well.

The storyline was kind of scattered with each episode, but ultimately the duo ended up at the end goal which they set in the second episode. Staying on storylines, considering this show was initially a book, many graphic-novel-to-TV adaptations are considered atrociously depicted, with missing parts and ill-portrayed characters. It is pretty much the same case for "The End of the F***ing World."

In the book, James says his hand was deformed because he stuck his hand in a blender, but in the show, he put his hand in a deep fryer. Some details that they added to the show that were not in the graphic novel include the two female investigators who followed the kids and the entire convenience store scene. These scenes do indeed add to the plotli, and while it may deviate from the novel, it brings the story together.

All in all, "The End of the F***king World" is a short and not so sweet Netflix show that is worthy of a late night binge-watch session.

Of Mice & Men Defy the Odds Brandon Collins Copy Editor Of Mice & Men is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. Lead singer Austin Carlile founded the band following departure from Attack Attack!. Alongside Jaxin Hall, Carlile formed Of Mice & Men in mid-2009.

Since then, they have seen numerous line-up changes and released five studio albums, the most recent of which, "Defy," was released on Jan. 19 of this year. "Defy" is the first album by the band that contains bassist Aaron Pauley as lead vocals.

Pauley took this position following the departure of Carlile due to health concerns regarding Marfan Syndrome.

The album opens on the album's title track, "Defy" which is an immediate headbanger, opening on riffs and hooks that the band is known for since their formation. Pauley described the track as being "about defying feelings of hopelessness, and, at the same time, defying that sort of disguised comfort that hopelessness brings." Following "Defy," is the track "Instincts," which is much like the previous song, composed of prominent hooks, hard

grooves, and an anthemic chorus.

Track number three, "Back to Me," showcases the fact that the band can have a heart even though they can mosh pit and headbang alongside the rest of the genre. The band advises in the song that one should: "Take a breath and take heart instead of pulling apart / When you find yourself back at the start." The song is immediately followed by "Sunflower," a slightly more reserved song on the album, that is composed of a solid riff and phenomenal breakdown that proves they are in the right scene to accompany it.

The fifth track on the song, "Unbreakable," which uses vocals the band is known for, soaring from melodies and growls.The song is easily one that would have a terrific, live sing-a-long at any show they perform at. It transitions easily to the next track, "Vertigo," which allows for a tone down that Pauley uses for clean vocals throughout the track. The track proves that Pauley is a more than justifiable replacement for Carlile, and will do wonders as the band progresses forward.

Track seven is perhaps the most interesting, as it is a cover of Pink Floyd's "Money." They do justice to the track, as

Photo Courtsy : DeviantArt Lead singer Aaron Pauley leads the crowd in a live sing-a-long at an open-air concert.

rather than hijacking it, they put their spin on it and made it a metalcore song, instead of just a classic rock one. "How Will You Live," is another heavy song on the album, that according to Pauley focuses on talking more about mental health.

The song is the band's attempt to get people to talk about the things that they are going through. They are attempting to help break the stigma by asking "If you're just going to hide what eats you alive, how will you live?"

"On The Inside� is perhaps one of the best songs on the album, and is easily one of the most spine-tingling tracks that has fans breathless from its beauty. It is full of heavy bass-lines, strong guitar riffs, and beating sonics that make turmoil sound like incredibly drawing and not painful events that everyone experiences. The album's following track, "Warzone," does a complete turnaround from "On The Inside" and opens on heavy instrumentals and screaming. The song goes on to softer vocals, only to pick back up not much later. Pauley stated that he wrote the song after he suffered a panic attack after he received the news of Chester Bennington's passing last year.

"Forever YDG'n" is another heavy

song on the album and is a celebration of the band's legacy that Austin Carlile left behind. It is easily one of the album's heaviest and most grueling cuts. The final track on the album "If We Were Ghosts" is another song that was inspired by the passing of Bennington. Linkin' Park was a prominent influence on the band, and they were all close friends of Bennington.

The track is an acoustic goodbye that the band was never able to give their friend in real life. It is proof that the group has melody and sincerity that they do not usually show deep down in their hearts. It is easily a perfect ending to the album that is both haunting and addicting.

The album is more than ample proof that the band was able to defy the odds against them and still be significant and influential in the metalcore genre. Pauley explained in an interview that "Defy" was more of a refine than a rebuild. He stated that "Change won't define us. We're going to define ourselves. We didn't want to become a new band; we just wanted to be ‘Of Mice & Men.'� With this album, he proved his statement correct as they are still Of Mice & Men and still a phenomenal band that will be remembered for years to come.

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