@FTCrimson @FTCrimson crimson@fit.edu
RIMSON The Florida Tech
The Official Student-Run Newspaper•since
Issue 5
INDEX News.......................................3 Space News........................................4-5 Sports.................................8
1967
SPRING
SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2020
Oyman resigns as Florida Tech's Provost kevin boodoosingh \\ managing editor
As of Feb. 24, Korhan Oyman has decided to step down as Florida Tech’s provost. Oyman was appointed interim provost by Florida Tech’s President, T. Dwyane McCay, in Oct. of 2019. He began working in the position permanently by the spring 2020 semester. A few months after Oyman entered the role of interim provost, McCay announced in a faculty senate meeting on Jan. 14 that a search committee would be formed in order to find a new permanent provost. Nearly a week later, McCay sent an email to the Florida Tech community introducing Oyman as provost, filling the position permanently. In an email to The Crimson, McCay said administration was in the process of forming the committee when Oyman committed to stay. “He had a brilliant grasp of the issues impeding our progress in the academic arena,” McCay said. “Plus, I had a number of years of experience working with Dr. Oyman and he was an excellent fit for what we needed at this time.” McCay also said that he did not need the committee’s approval of his decision of provost. Oyman will continue to be provost until the end of the spring 2020 semester, May 8. Associate Provost, Marc Baarmand, will be taking over most of Oyman’s duties. Baarmand
Korhan Oyman began working at Florida Tech in fall 2004 as a assistant professor. He served as a graduate program chair, Associate Dean and Dean of the College of Aeronautics. Photo//Kevin Boodoosingh
has been associate provost since Feb. 3. Over his years at Florida Tech, Baarmand has been a part of the faculty of the Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences Department. He has also served as faculty senate president and has been a chair member for the Faculty Excellence Awards committee for numerous years. According to Baarmand, associate provost acts as the second in command to the provost. Whereas, the provost acts as the second in command to the president of the university when it comes to the academic structure. Baarmand explained that the offices that report to him are: Registrar, Online and Off-campus Education, Institutional Research and Effectiveness, Honors College and Graduate Programs. “Needless to say that I support
the daily operation of the Provost Office as needed, e.g. currently we are all dealing with the COVID-19 virus crisis and academic continuity plans,” Baarmand said over email. Baarmand explained that his short term goals are to manage his unit and make sure of a smooth transition while Provost Oyman steps down, and a new provost takes over. For his long term goals, Baarmand said he wants to devise and execute a plan to further enhance the university academics —both for the student learning experience as well as faculty teaching and research. Oyman stated that due to personal reasons he has decided to step down. “Being provost is very stressful and it is a demanding job,” Oyman said. He added that it was time for him to leave his position. He has plans on returning to the Department of Aeronautics as a faculty professor in which he formerly taught in before taking on the provost position. During his time as provost, Oyman worked on making online classes more available, specifically for general education courses. “I introduced this plan to give the students a little bit more flexibility with their schedules,” Oyman said. Oyman stated that administrators do not always understand that students need to have a life outside of academics as well. “Students need to have free time to work on their projects and courses but also to relax and enjoy a hobby,” Oyman said. “I wish the person who takes over the best of luck,” Oyman said.
Florida Tech women’s soccer coach resigns elena cuilli \\ Staff writer
Florida Tech women's soccer coach, Jessica Monarch, resigned and has accepted a position as assistant coach for the women’s soccer program at Charleston University. Monarch will be joining coaches Jose Gomez and Jackie Stoll at Charleston University. Before joining the Panther program, Monarch served for two years as a graduate assistant coach at Belhaven University and has since spent the last five years with the Florida Tech program. Monarch first started working as an assistant coach at Florida Tech and then became head coach in 2018. The highlight of her tenure was in 2017 when Monarch led the women's team to the team’s first-ever Sunshine
Pages 2 Panther Podcast
State Conference tournament championship. Soccer players like Hailey Feela, a sophomore majoring in biomedical sciences, are looking forward to seeing what the fall season will bring to the team. “I am extremely excited about the new direction Florida Tech women’s soccer will be taking,” Feela said. Monarch left the spot to her assistant coach Julia Kantor, a Florida Tech alumni. Kantor was assistant coach for the women's soccer team for one year before stepping in as head coach until the position is filled permanently. Kantor said she is enjoying this experience, taking this moment as a good learning period and working to further cultivate her relationship with the team.
Page 3 COVID-19
Assistant coach Julia Kantor will take over this spring semester, planning on being assistant coach during next season. Photo//Florida Tech Athletics
According to the players, coach Kantor is managing the challenges well in the absence of a new head coach. Hailey Henderson, a sophomore majoring in biomedical sciences, alike to Feela, is also looking forward to the incoming fall semester. “Now, more than ever, our team needs to come together and support each other to get what we want to achieve,” Henderson said. “I am fully confident in coach Kantor’s abilities and it’s time for me and the girls to come out stronger.” According to Kantor, Florida Tech has begun the search for a new head coach.
Page 4-5 Space News
Bringing esports to Florida Tech arianna schuck \\ Staff writer
This past February, Florida Tech added a new department under student life; esports. Since the creation of this new program, Florida Tech has appointed an esports director, Wai Ting Kenneth Lam. Lam graduated from Maryville University in St. Louis, and during that time he had the opportunity to help develop and work with their esports program. “Maryville University currently holds four national titles and are second in the world, so I came from a really strong program,” Lam said. According to James RiswickEstelle, student behavior analyst for the esports program, esports is an umbrella term to refer to competitive video gaming in the same way that physical sports compete. “The esports department’s behavioral analyst is in the process of taking preliminary data on the performance of the teams and getting to know those involved in the department to see where there might be areas for improvement,” Riswick said. Lam also elaborated on the performance of the esports team at Florida Tech stating that he will be responsible for running multiple competitive teams, but also will have a staff consisting of assistants, and other student analysts to help build the esports community on campus. Once the program has more structure and is further developed, production and content creation can be started by the program according to Lam. “I’m building a full program,” Lam said. “I’ll be touching on competitive esports, and doing different sorts of collaborations.” Such collaborations will include working internally with the school, and externally with outside partners. Lam said that the program is expected to be up and running this upcoming fall semester. The Florida Tech esports team will soon have space available for their lab on the second
Kenneth Lam at the North America League of Legends Championship Series. Photo// facebook.com
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Our Mission: Live, discover and report the truth
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ISSUE 5
MARCH 15
ISSUE 5
Florida Tech suspends faceto-face instruction as COVID19 cases top 125,000 sonja michaels \\ Staff writer
On Thursday, Mar. 12, Florida Tech suspended face-to-face classes for the remainder of the spring semester due to the Coronavirus outbreak, with worldwide cases of COVID-19 numbering over 125,000. Classes will resume online beginning Mar. 23. As of Mar. 13, there were 1,629 cases in the U.S, according to the CDC. COVID-19 and Florida Tech Classes have been canceled entirely for the week of Mar. 16, with online instruction beginning Mar. 23. The university’s FAQ on the Coronavirus states that the decision to shift to online instruction for the remainder of the semester, rather than a shorter period of time, “was made so students could better plan and preserve continuity through the conclusion of the semester.” The shift includes laboratory courses and senior design projects. The student design showcase has also been canceled. Institutions ranging from the University of Chicago to Harvard University have closed their dorms, requiring students to leave campus. Florida Tech residence halls and dining services remain open. Students who remained on or are returning to campus are to fill out a check-in form to remain in campus housing. Along with standard identifying information such as name and student ID number, the form requires students to list any symptoms of illness they are experiencing, the location and date of any recent travel, and if they are self-quarantined. As stated in an email sent from the Florida Tech Student Life Office on Mar. 13, all student life events and programs have been canceled for the rest of the semester. Prospective student tours will still occur. Spring commencement has been closed to guests, as announced in a Mar. 10 email from Florida Tech President, T. Dwayne McCay. A graduates only ceremony will instead take place in the Gleason Performing Arts Center. The announcement came just under two months from the commencement date, which the email states was done in part so families of graduates could adjust their travel plans. The FAQ also states that tutoring will be moved online,
with math and chemistry tutoring continuing on campus in a limited capacity. At a student leader luncheon on Mar. 5, McCay said that Florida Tech students were still traveling to areas under travel advisories. “We have students going to Japan and to Italy that we're aware of,” McCay said. “If you are going to go to one of the areas around, Italy, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, any of those areas, you should let us know.” Japan is currently under a level two travel advisory from the CDC, with high-risk travelers such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions recommended to avoid nonessential travel. Italy remains at a level three, one of 32 European countries under CDC’s highest level of the travel advisory. Precautions Standard precautions for illness prevention are advised by the CDC. Proper handwashing includes washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, including forearms, backs of hands, and under nails. If soap and water are not available, a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol is advised. Coughs and sneezes should be covered, and hands washed immediately after. What to do if you are sick The CDC states that those who are mildly ill with the Coronavirus are able to recover at home in isolation, with no travel outside of the home except for medical care. Anyone with a confirmed or possible case of the virus should call ahead to their healthcare provider before going to allow the provider to take precautionary measures. The CDC also advises that someone ill with the virus should wear a face mask if they must share a space, such as a bedroom or healthcare provider’s office with other people. Routine cleaning of high-touch surfaces is recommended, including doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, phones, and tabletops.
MARCH 15
NEWS
3
Nerd News: The Stream Dream david thompson\\ copy editor
Due to the COV-19 outbreak across the globe, television shows and movies have all come to a screeching halt. Production on popular shows like “The Ellen Show” and “Stranger Things” have been paused, and blockbuster movies like “Mulan” and “Fast and Furious 9” have delayed their release date. While most movie studios that have announced they’re pushing back a film’s release date have not given a specific timetable, Universal has already announced that “Fast and Furious 9” is now set to release in April of 2021. This is 11 months after its initial release date of May 22. While it is a bold and saddening move by Universal to push the release back nearly a year, they’re giving themselves plenty of time and staking a claim to that month. So, why is it so important to pick a specific date right now? The domino effect. You may not have noticed this in the past, but movies come out at specific times for specific reasons. The busiest time of the year is “Summer Blockbuster Season” that lasts from about late spring until the end of summer. Critically acclaimed films typically come out during “Oscar season,” which happens from late fall and early winter until the year ends. Those other times of the year are typically saved for smaller films that a movie doesn’t think will do as well at the box office. There are of course exceptions like the
latest “Star Wars” trilogy all being released just before Christmas. Everyone in the industry is aware of this unwritten rule and knows the risks of opening during a bad time of the year, or too close to another blockbuster. This year’s first major summer blockbuster is Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow.” Disney has not yet budged on the May 5release date. As a devoted Marvel follower, I can tell you that they are methodical when it comes to their movies’ release dates. The film a studio thinks can make the most movie comes out in early May, one they’re confident in but don’t trust comes out earlier in the year around March, one they hope will be a success but haven’t tested the water with will be released in the Fall. This year “Black Widow” is in their “breadwinner” slot, and so far the Coronavirus has not made them budge. As of right now, this seems like a really bad idea, but I understand why they’re holding out hope. Every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe builds on top of the next, Disney can’t simply push “Black Widow” back to next April as Universal did with “Fast and Furious 9.” They already have their next seven movies announced and precisely placed throughout the next few years. Disney, I have a solution, release the movies on Disney+. I’m not sure if they recognize it or not, but Disney already gave themselves the solution to this problem back in November when they launched Disney+.
It’s this simple, go ahead and release the movie in theaters, and whoever is brave enough to go, will go, but also release it on Disney+ for a premium price. It can also act as an “Unlock” button on the app where you can now see that “Black Widow” is available on Disney+ but you have to pay $30 to 40 for access. The price will have to be well higher than an average movie ticket in order to gain comparable revenue to a normal theatrical release. It may not be ideal for the company of the fan, but these aren’t ideal times. If Marvel Studios really cares so much about sticking to the plan, then they should allow fans who don’t feel safe going out to a theater to have access to the film from home. They’ve given themselves the opportunity to go to plan B, but also keep the ship on course. For the rest of the movies and TV, I’m afraid these are dark times. Production will be backed up leading to later release dates and leaving fans foaming at the mouth for new content. 2021 was already going to be a crowded year with movies like “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Jurassic World: Dominion” and “The Batman.” But now with all the delays it could be overflowing and lead to different studios cannibalizing each other at the box office. Only time will tell how bad this situation will become but remember to wash your hands, stay at home and keep rewatching “Avengers: Infinity War” until you start rooting for Thanos.
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SPACE
ISSUE 5
MARCH 15
Op-Ed: What really is the U.S. Space Force? alex polimeni \\ Staff writer
Missile warning, GPS navigation, secured communications, and intelligence gathering; all of these share one commonality— they are essential to America’s national security. The United States Space Force was formed late last year following increased hostility from other nations in space including China and Russia.
Space has become an increasingly contested environment. The United States relies on a plethora of defense satellites, spanning through multiple orbits. Orbits thought to be safe and out of reach. However, anti-satellite weapons have rapidly advanced, and pose an extreme danger to American assets. According to an NPR report, countries including China, Russia, and India all have demonstrated anti-satellite capabilities through test
launches. Yet, as most Americans are not aware of these critical space-based assets, they could not even picture life without these unique capabilities. These satellites orbit overhead, in the shadow of the public eye. The satellites of the United States Space Force support every warfighting domain; including land, sea, air and space. Daily life is intertwined around satellites owned by the Space Force. All GPS naviga-
The classified NROL-37 mission departs the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, on June 11, 2016. Photo//Alex Polimenoi
tion satellites are controlled by the United States Space Force. If GPS satellites were to go offline, the financial system would crash, public navigation would be hindered, the power grid would be affected, military aircraft would have no sense of navigation, and more, according to an article from The Atlantic. Furthermore, GPS guided bombs and missiles would be rendered useless, according to a 60 Minutes interview with Bridger General Bill Cooley, the Commander at the Air Force Research Laboratory located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. In addition to the wellknown GPS satellites, America relies on several other constellations, or groups of satellites, to monitor the globe for missile launches, provide secured communications, and more. “Our Military Services have created the world’s best space capabilities,” said Mark Esper, secretary of defense, at a signing in the Pentagon. “Now is the time for the U.S. Space Force to lead our Nation in preparing for emerging threats in an evolving space environment.” He added that this new service will help guarantee we are in a position to defend our national interests and outpace potential adversaries. Before the United States Space Force, a command within the U.S. Air Force was responsible for the defense of military assets in space. Referred to as “the Air Force Space Command,” in the earliest days, there was no need to defend these satellites, they were safe, and out of reach in orbit. As America continued to keep the pace, Russia and China increased aggression in space. The Russians have closely maneuvered military satellites near U.S. commercial satellites. Anti-satellite
weapons are within range of nearly all Earth orbits. Space is now a warfighting domain. “Let me be very clear, we do not want a conflict that extends into space, but one way to keep that from happening is to make sure that we're prepared for it and [can] fight and win that conflict if it were to occur,” said John Raymond, general of the U.S. Space Force, to the House Armed Services Committee. A drastic reorganization is underway in the United States space Force, as resources and airmen are moved from AFSPC. Air Force bases that have had a large space mission will be transferred to the USSF, and be renamed accordingly. The Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is planned to be renamed to the “Cape Canaveral Space Force Station” sometime at the end of the month. The Vandenberg Air Force Base, America’s westcoast launch site, will also be renamed, according to an article by Spaceflight Now. The USSF will still be under the supervision of the Department of the Air Force, but will be funded separately, and will have a Joint-Chief of Staff directly advising the President, significantly elevating the space mission. Space is the next frontier – but also the next battlefield. With America’s reliance on space-based assets, it is paramount that we are ready and willing to counter aggression on orbit. Life would not be the same without these satellites. Without space, it would be akin to going back to pre-industrial warfare. These missions absolutely save lives, so we must be ready to protect our spacecraft at all costs. America’s military-might depends on space.
The classified NROL42 mission departs the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, on September 23, 2017. Photo//Alex Polimenoi
ISSUE 5
MARCH 15
SPACE
5
First dedicated Space Force satellite set for launch alex polimeni \\ Staff writer
United Launch Alliance prepares to launch the Atlas V rocket with the AEHF-6 satellite, the first dedicated U.S. Space Force launch. On Mar. 21, the final installment of the six-satellite constellation, valued at over 15 billion is expected to depart from Florida’s Space Coast. “The delivery of the last AEHF satellite comes at an inflection point, as the first delivery of the USSF for launch,” said Lieutenant Colonel Paul La Tour, AEHF Space Segment materiel leader, in a press release. AEHF is a highly secured, nuclear-hardened communications satellite, and would be used as the last resort system for the President to direct American troops in a nuclear war. The program began under the Air Force
An Atlas V, flying in the most powerful configuration, launches another Air Force payload in 2018.. Photo//Alex Polimenoi Space Command, and on its final launch, will fly as the first U.S. Space Force mission. AEHF replaced the older Milstar satellites, launched from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s on the Titan IV rocket. A single AEHF satellite has more capacity than the entire five-satellite Milstar
NASA’s Blueberry delaine rust \\ Staff writer
Alyssa Carson created the Blueberry foundation. Photo//facebook.com Growing up, people often bounce from idea to idea about what they are going to be when they grow up. On the other hand, Alyssa Carson, a freshman from Louisiana majoring in astrobiology, always knew she wanted to go to Mars. As a kid, Carson was constantly involved in space camps. According to her website, Carson has attended NASA space camps seven times, and she was the youngest person ever to graduate from the Advanced Space Academy. These camps provided her with the opportunity to get involved in programs to help pursue her goal further. For example, Carson is a part of Project Possum, a private citizen science research organization supported by NASA that conducts upper atmosphere research and provides realistic training for students interested in pursuing a career in space exploration. Programs like this encouraged Carson to help younger kids with similar goals to have the same opportunities as her. This drive led her to create the Blueberry Foundation. Carson said this group started out small, and eventually grew to what it is today. “I started the Blueberry Foundation as
a way to send more kids to space camp because space camp really helped me in figuring out what I wanted to do,” Carson said. Attending space camp helped Carson figure out how to achieve her dreams and what area of space she planned to study, an opportunity she wanted to share with other kids. As the foundation has grown, Carson has begun looking for groups of students from other countries to send to space camp. As a result, the foundation has recently partnered with a group of kids from Mexico City to send them to space camp in the future. Though these dreams began at such a young age, Carson continues to work towards her goal in school today. Florida Tech is ranked as a tier One university by the National University U.S. News & World Report, making it very popular in its engineering and science programs. One program that caught Carson’s attention, in particular, was the astrobiology program. According to Florida Tech’s website, it is the first and one of the few universities that have an astrobiology program. This program and the benefit of being on the space coast were among the reasons Carson chose to study at Florida Tech. To help continue to work toward her goal, Carson said that after she finishes her masters she hopes to continue gaining experience in the astrobiology field and continue working with Project Possum. She remains hopeful that she will one day be selected to go to Mars. “I just want to be part of the mission and will help contribute in any way I can,” Carson said.
constellation, according to a Lockheed Martin factsheet. “AEHF satellites play a critical role for the warfighter and the defense of our nation,” said John Dukes, senior materiel leader for the Space Production Corps’ Geosynchronous Orbit Division in an Air Force
press release. “Space is fundamental to our way of life, our economy relies on space and this reliance will continue to grow.” The program is also jointly funded by allied forces, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, and Australia; all reliant on the unique capabilities of AEHF. The first AEHF launch occurred in 2010. Since then, four other satellites have been launched, all atop an Atlas V rocket. The AEHF-6 spacecraft was delivered to Titusville, Florida, on Jan. 12, to begin pre-launch processing and encapsulation inside the Atlas V’s payload fairing. “The successful delivery of AEHF-6 is a significant achievement for the program, it brings us another step closer to delivering mission-critical capabilities to the warfighter,”
said Cordell DeLaPena, Program Executive Officer for Space Production, in an Air Force press release. “AEHF is an important asset to our sea, air, and ground missions.” This Saturday, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V will be flying the most powerful configuration, its propel over 13,000 pounds. The Atlas V will begin its journey from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the launch site of all previous AEHF satellites. AEHF-6 will mark the 83rd launch of the workhorse Atlas V rocket, and the 138th ULA launch, with 100 percent mission success. The AEHF-6 launch will be visible from the Florida Tech campus, however, as the launch will occur during the daytime, nearby beaches, including Holland-Spessard beach and Jetty Park.
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SPORTS ISSUE 5
MARCH 15
Sports canceled or suspended david thompson\\ copy editor
Why do we watch sports? Seriously, why do we constantly check scores and stats, scream when a big play happens, cheer when our team scores and go home feeling sick when they lose? What’s the point? The act of sport is an escape. An escape from our job, an assignment due at midnight, a tough breakup, a sick loved one, or politics, politics, and more politics. Sports are the only thing on Earth that can bring people together no
matter their political party, religious beliefs, race, sexual orientation, age, gender, or any other category that separates us as humans. Are we rooting for the same team? We are? Great! You’re welcome to our club. You’re rooting for the Patriots? Go kick rocks dude! It’s that exclusive club of fans rooting for the same team or player that makes watching sports so special. The Coronavirus has ripped this escape away from us. Not only have all of Florida Tech sports been canceled, but practically all
NBA suspends season for at least 30 days
NCAA cancels Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and all spring sports
MLB cancels their remaining spring training and is pushing back the start of their regular season at least two weeks
major American sports have been either suspended or canceled. This year you won’t get the opportunity to fill out 47 March Madness brackets because you want to tell your friends, “My bracket lasted the longest, I told you guys I know what I’m talking about.” We may not even get to see the best NBA team hold up the Larry O’Brien trophy, or the best NHL celebrate with the Stanley Cup. Major League Baseball won’t be welcomed into the new season with the tradition of Opening Day. Professional golf
season won’t tee off at Augusta National for the Masters Tournament on time. It’s all just gone, within a blink of an eye our escape from whatever is dragging us down in our lives is gone, and we don’t know when it’ll be back. I write this not to mope and have someone play a sad song for me on the world’s smallest violin, but to tell the sports-crazed fans out there that you’re not alone. We all should know how serious this disease is and the impact it could have on our country and our planet. Sports will return
It is unclear the plan for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan NHL pauses its regular season with no timetable for return MLS suspends season for at least 30 days NASCAR postpones its next two racing events Boston Marathon is postponed
XFL cancels season
their
remaining
and everything happens for a reason. Maybe this a sign that we should all pay closer attention to our family, friends, co-workers, classmates and neighbors. While this feels like a nightmare, it will get better, our escape from reality will return. In the meantime, wash your hands, practice social distancing and watch reruns of the 2016 NBA Finals. Giving high fives to strangers at a game will be back, but until then, sports, we’ll miss you