the avion
embry-riddle aeronautical university • daytona beach, florida • september 15, 2020
Views from the Smokey Mountains Read about it on PAGE 11
issue 2 • volume 154
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IN MEMORIAM Executive Board
Editor-in-Chief Victoria Jordan
editor@theavion.com
Managing Editor Vipul Telang
managing@theavion.com
News Editor Oliver Du Bois
news@theavion.com
Photo Editor Alani Seaman
photo@theavion.com
Business Manager Samantha Stirmel business@theavion.com
Staff Advisor Ronnie Mack
Assistant Director of Orientation & Communications
Contact Information (386) 226-6049 theavion.com 1 Aerospace Blvd, SU 219 Daytona Beach, FL 32114 @theavionnewspaper u/theavionnewspaper @The_Avion @TheAvion
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Remembering Alexander Bello-Ortiz Gianna Castano & Oliver Du Bois Distribution Manager & News Editor On Sept. 7, Embry-Riddle suffered a tremendous loss due to the unexpected passing of Alexander Bello-Ortiz. A U.S. Air Force ROTC student, and a senior studying Electrical Engineering, Alex was an absolute light who touched every life he encountered. He was dedicated to his studies, hardworking, and as a result, was a four-year winner of the AFROTC scholarship. He planned to join the Air Force following graduating from Embry-Riddle, where he would be able to practice his electrical engineering skills while pursuing something he so dearly loved. Alex was a proud member of Detachment 157, of which he felt was a second family to him. He led his fellow cadets as a Flight Commander and Morale Officer. He was a mentor, and an inspiration to the freshman cadets, as he motivated them in ways others could not. No matter what, he was a shining beacon of light and brought joy to all. He was the prime example of morale, deeming him as a perfect example of a Morale Officer. Alex was absolutely loved and adored by those who had the chance to meet him. When describing him, Becca McBride said, “He was the epitome of sunshine. He was selfless and comforting. He was someone you always wanted to be around.” McBride further spoke on Alex, saying how he left an impression on every person he came across. Robert Kramer furthered this sentiment, expressing that, “Alex was the most optimistic person in the
room. It wouldn’t matter what we were doing; whether it was cleaning the house or building a table, he always went at it with a ton of enthusiasm. He was always able to bring my mood up no matter what was going on, and I only hope I’ll be able to do for others what he did for me.” Kyle Trenholm summed up Alex by describing him as “a man who above anything else exemplified what it meant to be human.” He thanks Alex further by stating, “You gave me the gift of friendship, laughter, and good memories. I love you, and I’ll forever be your best friend.” A son, a brother, a nephew, and a grandson, Alex was incredibly dedicated to his family. He learned from his family what type of person he wanted to be, and he taught them so much about unconditional love. He was a hero to his younger siblings, who he always spared time for no matter what. He was intent upon taking the best of care of his family and always did whatever he could to give back for all they did for him. On Sept. 9, 50 Air Force Cadets honored Alex’s life by participating in a flag folding ceremony. The shadow box, which now holds this
flag, folded in his memory, also contains a challenge coin, a name tag, and a class patch. To further memorialize Alex, a memorial service was hosted on Sept. 13 in the IC Auditorium. The event was open to Alex’s family, service participants, and other invited guests. It was livestreamed as well so that those unable to attend could further honor him and reflect on his loss. Alex will receive his Cum Laude Honor degree from Embry-Riddle posthumously. President P. Barry Butler will confer his degree alongside Lon Moeller, the senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. Alex’s heart, kidney, and liver have been donated and matched with a recipient. McBride says that she and others “find peace in that he is giving the gift of life to 4-5 people.” An overall amazing, kind-hearted, optimistic, and joyful individual, Alex will be missed dearly by all who knew him. He is survived by his parents, Maria Lourdes Ortiz and Liberto Bello, his brother Jack, his sister Sarah, his stepfather Harold Dolph, his stepmother Melissa Whitt-Bello, and many other family members.
Gianna Castano/The Avion Newspaper
Gianna Castano/The Avion Newspaper
The campus spirit rock was painted in loving memory of Alexander Ortiz.
CAMPUS LIFE AND EVENTS
Workout: COVID Style Alternate Ways to Workout During the Pandemic
Samantha Stirmel Business Manager As most students who have tried to visit the Fitness Center on campus have realized, the Fitness Center has decreased its occupation limit because of COVID guidelines to 40 people at a time. Those that come in above the limit and would like to work out can wait and jump in as soon as a student has left. Though this does not mean all your options have closed! Option one: the track behind the softball fields. If you find that campus is too small or there is no good running space, cross the street. The E Campus Trail can be located on Google Maps and measures in at about a mile and a quarter round trip. It also adjoins the disc golfing set-up there is on campus. The trail starts by the joint PT/track and field area on campus and dead-ends behind some of the other parking lots near the campus's edge on the airport side. Option two: get creative with the stairs on the bridge crossing Clyde Morris. Not only are there inclines on both sides to work more areas in your legs, but there are also stairs. Use a combination of bunny-hopping, running, and walking the stairs to either side to give you a nice workout. Bonus points if you also squat across the top of the bridge to get to the other side. Work your calves by doing calf raises off the edge of the stairs with a loaded backpack. Option three: remember that you can always join into any of the group fitness classes at the fitness center by reserving a spot on the day of or Zooming in from home.
In the case of at home, full water bottles work well as weights (1 Liter of water is about 2.2 pounds), and any soft grass or carpeting can work as a yoga mat. Option four: find a reliable app that gives you equipment-free workouts to do at home or around open areas on campus. Les Mills offers a lot of different recorded online classes at your fingertips and is also the company behind the BodyPump class that is taught by the fitness instructor. Plus, Les Mills is free for 14 days if you want to try it out. Peloton is not just a company that sells exercise equipment; they also offer online classes on-demand for yoga, cycling, meditation, etc. Peloton also offers a free trial for the first 30 days if you want to give it a shot.
If you don't want to worry about subscriptions, there are also thousands of apps either through Apple or Google Play that allow for any workout type. One free option that is not overrun by ads is JEFIT. JEFIT has hundreds of free workouts for you to pick from to get you started; you can even build your own if you want. The app lets you modify workouts, note the weights you are lifting, and add friends for some competition. Finding time in the day to work out is hard for anyone, let alone college students, but there are options out there. Working out does not just lead to a healthy body; it leads to a healthy mind and lets you reduce stress. Finding even 10 minutes in the morning to do a quick ab circuit is still progress.
Joshua Rosado/The Avion Newspaper
Embry-Riddle student Samantha Stirmel utilizes alternate workout locations around campus to work out. She is pictured here practicing lunges near the pedestrian bridge.
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Page Editors Cover Photo Samantha Stirmel Campus Editors Oliver Du Bois Samir Khairi Romeia Al-Hajeri Victoria Jordan Hunter Lyons Alani Seaman Industry Editors Jordan Thomas Korbin Martin Alani Seaman Vipul Telang Joshua Rosado Comics Editor Samantha Stirmel Copy Editor Oliver Du Bois
Contributors Reporters Photographers
Oliver Du Bois Chirag Mehrotra Vipul Telang Victoria Jordan Samantha Stirmel Gianna Castano
Vipul Telang Joshua Rosado Samantha Stirmel Oliver Du Bois Gianna Castano Hunter Lyons
Correspondents
Ameer Hosein, Alexandria Gombas, Romeia Al-Hajeri
The Avion is produced weekly during the fall and spring term. 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 1200 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 both the Student Government Association and through advertising fees. The Avion distributes one free copy per person. Additional copies are $0.69. 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.
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STUDENT LIFE & COVID-19
COVID-19 Brings Significant Changes to Student Employment Romeia Al-Hajeri Correspondent Student employment is one of the many essential working parts that keeps Embry-Riddle up and running. What was once a thriving, seamless routine for students and staff alike has now become a drastically different scene due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To help The Avion gain better insight into how the pandemic has affected operations in the office of Student Employment, we spoke to Therese Davis, Director of Student Employment at the Daytona Beach Campus. The Avion Newspaper: In light of COVID-19, has on-campus student employment opportunities increased or decreased compared to the previous year? Have you noticed a significant change in the type of positions being offered compared to before the pandemic? What about off-campus? Therese Davis: Obviously, there's a decrease in jobs anyway going from spring to summer as the campus is condensed, and we don't have as much employment over the summer, but due to COVID and working remotely, it was dramatically decreased. Now, coming back in the fall, we came back strong. Like you mentioned in your question, there is a difference in the job positions. We have a lot more of the wellness screeners; that's lent itself to a big boost in hiring. Last August, I believe we hired roughly 350 students. This August, we hired 550 students, so it actually increased. They're not all wellness screeners,
but the departments are learning to be flexible and learning to adapt, allowing some students to work remotely if the position allows and to work here within the university, etc., so they work really well in giving our students jobs. Off-campus jobs are seeing a steep decline. It has not seen a bounce-back that we've seen here at the university. A lot of the communities are still struggling; the local business community is still struggling with the number of hours that they're opening, and just the changes in how they have to do business, so we are not getting as much off-campus employment. So, we’re a little disappointed, but hopefully, fingers and toes crossed, that will bounce back in the spring. AN: How did you react and adapt when you heard the news about COVID-19? What were your initial thoughts/concerns? TD: I’ll be painfully honest; I was really doubtful that we could do our jobs remotely. We are a face-to-face office. We have a lot of interaction with students, and when they said we were working from home, it was kind of a mixed blessing because it was summer, so there was a natural decrease in activity, but I personally was amazed at how much we could do from home; how much we could still offer students, how much we could still help, how much paperwork we could get done. We adapted to be able to do a lot more. Our policies and procedures had to change, and we had to be flexible, but as we adapted and changed, we could really function well remotely.
AN: How has implementing Wellness Check stations impacted and/ or affected the office of Student Employment overall? Has the transition been smooth?
AN: Have any student employees who are financially dependent on on-campus jobs expressed concern about not being able to work due to current conditions?
TD: Once again, everybody just switched really quickly. When we came back, we didn’t have the wellness centers as readily available as they are now. We had to stop at health services and get it done, so, you know, you just allow an extra 10 minutes early in the morning, and you get your wellness check before you come in. As students started coming back, they made them more accessible. You can’t help but walk by a wellness station wherever you go. They’ve made it so convenient, not in a bad way, but it’s so ‘in your face’ that you can’t miss it. I think it’s just become part of everyone’s morning routine, both for students and staff.
TD: Absolutely. We’ve had so many students express concern, especially when we first closed down the university and were remote. There are positions that just don’t lend themselves to working remotely. Take our student assistant, for example. The responsibilities here are mainly answering the phone and filing. You can't do that from home; it's just not a job where the skills can transfer. Some of the tutoring and research did lend itself well to working remotely, but a lot of positions didn’t. Personally, it broke my heart to get the emails from students asking, “What can I do?” Students aren’t eligible for unemployment benefits, so there really wasn’t much I could do for them. I did refer them, however, to the Dean of Students, financial aid, etc. as they had some different programs set up to help students.
AN: What are your thoughts about the student employees that are conducting the wellness checks for students and staff? TD: In my personal opinion, they’re taking a mini risk. They're facing a lot of people every day. It impresses me how they step up. Our students impress me every day. Sitting in here, you don't realize all the things that they do. They always step up and take responsibility and do whatever’s asked. So, I have great respect for the student workers, whether they’re wellness screeners or tutors. It’s a lot to juggle. They're here pretty early in the morning, and they're still pretty cheerful, which amazes me.
While COVID-19 has certainly caused student employment to take some dramatic hits, the office has also emerged with quite a number of triumphs: new job openings, a significant increase in the number of students hired, and a greater sense of togetherness. We don't know our true power until we are forced to confront our problems head-on. We are all in this together, and the Office of Student Employment is here to look out for all of our Eagles.
STUDENT LIFE & COVID-19
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COVID in the Classroom How Complacency in Instructors can Cause COVID to Spread
Oliver Du Bois News Editor With the spread of COVID-19 across the globe, the education system has been turned on its head. Suddenly, instructors are faced with following new guidelines while in the classroom, and ensuring that their students follow them as well. Like many other universities, Embry-Riddle has created COVID-19 protocols that are to be followed amid the classroom. These protocols were created to minimize the risk of attending Embry-Riddle while also lessening the chance of spreading the virus. Even so, many students believe these protocols may be in vain, as instructors are not always carrying out and enforcing these policies as they should. With that being said, how will Embry-Riddle be able to minimize the risk of COVID-19 in the classroom if their faculty cannot even enforce the guidelines set into place to prevent it in the first place? On Aug. 4, an email was sent out by University Communications entitled, It’s Up to All of Us. In this email, the Fall 2020 semester expectations were laid out to be read by all incoming students prior to the semester beginning. In this, classroom expectations were briefly discussed as well, as the email stated, “Students will be asked to clean off their work areas with supplies provided by the university. Instructors will do the same. Assigned seating will be in place and classes may be dismissed in rows to prevent hallway congestion.” These key points seem to be promising in reducing the risk of attending university in-person— or, at least, it would if they were
Oliver Du Bois/The Avion Newspaper
The sanitization bottles found in every classroom to improve safety and cleanliness. Each student should use this to clean their desk.
properly enforced. When you enter an Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach classroom, there is an expectation that you will use the sanitization product provided by Embry-Riddle to clean your desk before sitting down and before leaving. Many professors are failing to enforce this policy now, as students are reporting that the majority of their professors no longer care if desks are sanitized or not. Instead, many professors seem to sanitize their own stations and fail to notice or comment on if students do not do the same. As if this is not enough to cause concern, the idea of assigned seating was broadcasted quite well on the first day of in-person classes, although some professors seem to have found more leni-
ency with this and may turn a blind eye to students switching seats now. While this disregard for COVID-19 protocol is not common, the disregard for having classes leave in rows is. In fact, most students have reported that none of their professors have required larger classes to do this. Others have claimed that their professors did once, but no longer do. As if this isn’t enough, there is also a lack of enforceability regarding the wearing of masks in classrooms and the campus as a whole. On Aug. 5, University Communications sent an email entitled, Before You Get Out of Your Car, Put on Your Mask, where the mask policies were explained. Of these policies, the biggest one addressed is that, “Your entire nose and mouth should be covered by your mask,” and that students should not “wear face coverings pulled down under [their] nose or chin, or on [their] forehead.” A worryingly large number of students ignore this policy while on campus and are wearing their masks below their noses without repercussions. Even in the classroom, many students report that instructors are doing little to nothing to reprimand the students who are not wearing their masks properly. This is a very apparent way in which some instructors are becoming compliant with the breaking of COVID-19 protocols. Admittedly, this is not the case for every instructor across campus. In fact, labs are exceedingly cautious in abiding by COVID-19 protocols. Students in labs have to follow strict guidelines, as they wear masks and face shields, wash their hands, wear
gloves, and disinfect their stations before having the chance to sit down. Labs act as a prime example at Embry-Riddle of how COVID-19 protocols need to be followed despite their annoyance. Hopefully, this will remain the case, so long as compliance does not begin to inch away at lab instructors over time. Compliance is, if anything, a terrible enabler which promotes a bad safety culture. If instructors are becoming compliant and therefore allowing their students to become compliant, the chances of COVID-19 sweeping Embry-Riddle will only grow instead of diminishing. If we ever want things to go back too normal, that can only be accomplished by adhering to COVID-19 policies. Otherwise, COVID-19 spreading across Embry-Riddle may become inevitable, as will COVID in the classroom.
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CAMPUS LIFE AND EVENTS
Encouraging Life, One Flag At A Time
Victoria Jordan Editor-in-Chief You are important. You are valued. You are loved. These few phrases are short, but they carry a tremendous weight for individuals that need to hear it. It tells us that we matter to someone. For some, the feeling that they do not matter and are not wanted constantly lurks over them. Add to that, feelings of loneliness consuming their thoughts every minute of every day. At their lowest moment, the thought of committing suicide is there. What happens now? How can we stop these thoughts from occurring to the people that we love? Are we too late? Suicide is defined as death caused by injuring oneself with
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We must extend grace, patience, and love to everyone because you never know who needs it the most.
“ the intent to die. According to research done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States and was responsible for more than 48,000 deaths in 2018. Suicide affects all ages; it is the second leading cause of death for people 10 to 34 years of age, the fourth leading cause among people 35 to 54
years of age, and the eighth leading cause among people 55 to 64 years of age. This topic is sensitive, but it is important to share not only in September, which is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, but also throughout the year. With the addition of the COVID-19 global pandemic, which is causing confusion in what the future will look like and how one will meet all necessary needs, supporting mental health awareness is crucial. We must extend grace, patience, and love to everyone because you never know who needs it the most. As a tradition of Embry-Riddle, the Counseling Center will be hosting the 7th Annual Field of Hope. In the past few years, Field of Hope was conducted on Connolly Quad in front of the Student Union. Students, faculty, and staff were able to grab a tiny colorful flag and write a message. These anonymous messages could be about anything, such as a message of encouragement for yourself or someone you know facing difficult times. Once you are done writing down your message, you could plant your flag anywhere in the ground near other flags in the field. It was such a positive experience to provided messages of inspiration and hope to others. Being able to see the field grow with more flags throughout the entire day was an immensely powerful showcase of unity that "you are not alone." This year, Field of Hope will be conducted virtually. The Counseling Center invites all students, staff, and faculty to post a virtual message of hope and support for those who
may be depressed and/or considering suicide. Use #erauhopes2020, and we will add your message to flags displayed in the future Field of Hope programs. You can visit the Counseling Center webpage to download and print your flag. #eraYOUmatter.
Counseling Center Information: 386-286-6035 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Joshua Rosado/The Avion Newspaper
INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY
Hunter Lyons/The Avion Newspaper
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INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY
Hey, Hey, Hulu, I Don’t Like Your Views
Ameer Hosien Graduate Researcher Alexandria Gombas Undergraduate Researcher Introduction Sometimes it feels like we spend more time browsing the streaming apps than actually watching any show or movie. Given this, the experience of browsing must be simple and pleasant to navigate, and following best practices and guidelines is a good start. For this article, we focus on the best practices of consistency and matching the users' expectations by browsing Hulu on a laptop vs. tablet, where we compare the experiences and impacts. To compare the experience, we used the desktop site (Windows PC) and the mobile app (Apple iPad). Best Practices These best practices are closely related because the industry standards, with consistent application, help form the user’s expectations, such as shopping carts being in the top right-hand corner of sites. Users expect that features and functionality are similar to other websites and applications that they use. They expect the descriptions of what they are looking for are accurate and easy to understand. With consistency across platforms, users don't have to search for what they are looking for and save time. Consistency and matching the user's expectations also minimizes the
learning curve of new apps or services without creating a tutorial. Services, like Hulu, are not limited to one platform or device and are often competing to contribute to match the users' expectations. In Hulu's case, other popular streaming apps, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, have similar layouts, which leads to consumers assuming that the controls and navigation are also similar. If a Netflix user is trying out Hulu, the differences in navigation compared to Netflix may cause frustration or confusion, causing the user to abandon the app. Similar issues can occur when using different devices to access the service if there is not enough similarity or sufficient correlation between a website on a laptop and an app on a tablet. Browsing Shows We noted what steps were involved in browsing Hulu and our experiences while doing so. We noticed two different sized show cards on the homepage, a tall rectangular one with featured shows, and the typical smaller flat rectangle with just the title. On the website, the larger rectangles show a description when hovering, while neither size has a description on the tablet due to the lack of hovering ability. Show Detail Learning more about a show is a different experience based on the device. On both platforms, you se-
lect the show card. However, on the website, clicking just the image doesn’t work; instead, you have to click the words. On the tablet, you can click any part of the show card to view the details. If a tablet user went on the website, this could be frustrating because it doesn't match their expectations from using the app. When you open the show on the website, it displays a cut-off description of the first episode. There is no clear indication of where the series description is. On the tablet, the description panel presents the cutoff series description rather than the episode, showcasing another inconsistency between the different devices. Through trial and error on the tablet, you may find that tapping the description opens a popup with the full description. In contrast, you must navigate to a new tab on the website to find the series description or the first episode to find the rest of the initial description. This can turn users off because it's not what they expected, because the standard is to automatically be shown the full description, without any extra steps. Closing the Show Once you've read the description and decided whether to add it to "My Stuff," Hulu's version of a watch list, you need to close everything so you can continue to browse. On the website, this is easy and just how you might expect: either click to the sides of the card or use the "X" in the upper right-hand corner, much like you would on any other
site. This matches both consistency and standards and the users’ expectations. The tablet interface behaves contrary to expectation. Trying to close the detail panel can cause frustration because the only way to close it is the “X” in the upper left-hand corner, rather than just clicking offside (similar to how the extended description is closed). The "X" is white with no background, so it blends in with images from the show image. The button is also more difficult to find since it is in the left-hand corner, rather than the right where it is located on the website.
Image Courtesy/Alexandria Gombas
Conclusion Hulu, being known as one of the major streaming providers of its generation, provides a large selection of movies and TV shows. However, there are inconsistencies and mismatches with user expectations between the website and the app that can be confusing, impacting the user experience. Hulu needs to remember that its users stream content from many devices and should, therefore, ensure that their interfaces are consistent regardless of how they're being viewed.
INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY
Parking Lot Problem
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Finding Long-Term Storage Solutions for the Airbus A380 Vipul Telang Managing Editor COVID-19 took the aviation world by surprise in 2020, prompting the cancellation of millions of flights as the sudden pandemic caused an unprecedented decrease in air travel worldwide. Airlines scrambled to find parking spots for their unused planes around the world. Many long-range aircraft sat unused, and the fuel-thirsty A380 jets were among the first to be parked. Finding parking spots for the 200+ fleet of superjumbos is easier said than done, though. With a wingspan of over 250 feet and a length of 239 feet, the A380 takes up a sizable area—reducing the number of aircraft that can be stored at any single facility. The storage location is incredibly important, as elevated moisture can be extremely detrimental to various parts. As a result, airlines prefer to store their aircraft in arid, low-moisture environments, such as deserts, if airports are not a viable option.
Maintaining an aircraft in longterm storage requires a lot more work than just parking the aircraft and leaving it. Preparing the A380 includes cleaning not just the outside of the aircraft, but the inside as well. All the holes, such as the auxiliary power unit and fuel vents, need to be sealed in order to prevent bugs and other insects from inhabiting the aircraft. “These holes around the aircraft can be mistaken by birds as a nice resting place,” says John Walker, Qantas’ Head of Maintenance. Engine inlets are covered up and taped shut, and the pitot tubes and static ports are protected as well. Although the aircraft is in a low-moisture environment, antifungal agents are added to the fuel to prevent any algae growth from residual water. The landing gear is coated with hydraulic fluid to prevent rust from forming on any parts. Over 220 pounds of moisture absorbers are applied to the engine and cabin to maintain a safe humidity level in both areas. The desert climate of the Alice Springs, Austra-
Vipul Telang/The Avion Newspaper
An Air France A380 is seen here taxiing to runway 9L at Atlanta’s Hartfield-Jackson International Airport. Air France retired all nine of their A380s after initally placing them in long-term storage. The airline pushed up the phaseout, which was initially scheduled for 2022.
lia, long-term storage facility brings additional issues. “The effect of UV light on cabin and cockpit interiors by the Australian sun means that we have to ensure that all cockpit and cabin windows are covered by either the installed window shades or by additional material to protect the aircraft by the sun,” Walker explained. After prepping the aircraft for storage, they must also be maintained weekly. The superjumbos must have their wheels rotated every seven to fourteen days to prevent any flat spots from forming, which means either jacking up the aircraft and rotating the wheels or towing the aircraft around. Additionally, Airbus requires a full landing gear test to be completed every six months and also before re-entering service. The four engines must be started and ran every few weeks to ensure fluid flow maintains within acceptable levels. If aircraft need to be stored longer than two years, a recertification is required before entering service. What Are Airlines Doing? Each airline has taken a different approach to respond to the decreased air travel caused by COVID-19. Dubai-based airline Emirates accounts for over half of the world’s A380s, so most of them are parked in the United Arab Emirates. 41 aircraft are stored at Dubai International Airport, while the remaining 71 are stored at Al Maktoum International Airport, better known as Dubai World Central. DWC is an unfinished mega-hub airport between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, scheduled for completion in 2027.
Singapore Airlines elected to store some of its long-haul aircraft in Alice Springs, Australia, under the care of Asia Pacific Aircraft Storage (APAC). Singapore Airlines operates 19 A380s, and four currently reside in the Australian desert location. Qantas decided to store their planes in Victorville, California, an unusual move given that their home country is Australia. Several factors most likely went into this decision, including cost and space required. Qantas, which has a massive maintenance hangar at Los Angeles International Airport, can get technical crews and engineers to the fleet of 12 A380s in under two hours. Storing an aircraft at Victorville is significantly cheaper than storing them at an airport, which is why other carriers also opt to leave their aircraft in the California desert. Unfortunately, the A380 has not seen a similar response at Air France. The French flag carrier announced earlier this year that they would be retiring all nine of the superjumbos in the fleet immediately because of the worldwide pandemic. Initially scheduled for the end of 2022, the fleet’s phaseout of the largest passenger airplane was pushed up after the demand for air travel tumbled. The future of the A380 is certainly in jeopardy. Airlines are no longer gambling on the 471-passenger superjumbos instead of leaning towards more fuel-efficient twin-engine planes such as the A350 and the upcoming BoeinWg 777X. For now, many of the A380s will remain in storage until the aviation industry slowly returns to normal. Only time will tell if we see the A380 return to the skies.
10 INDUSTRY & TECHNOLOGY
Going Touchless
Chirag Mehrotra Staff Reporter Smart home technology has come a long way in the past decade. It went from simple security systems to complex and sophisticated ones. Nowadays, we can control even the most fundamental functions in our homes through our voices. Phrases like, “Hey Alexa, Play XYZ song by ABC singer,” have become all too common in our lives. Not only that, but we can also now control lights, thermostats, blinds, speakers, and even faucets with just our voice. They have taken comfort living to a whole new level, where people don’t even have to lift a finger to control electronics in their homes. According to some estimates, the
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smart home technology industry is worth $40 billion a year and is projected to grow to $54 billion in just two years by 2022. The industry has grown at an average of 10% over the past five years. The COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic has also given the smart home technology industry a big boost as millions of people have been forced to stay indoors. Many have decided to “upgrade” their homes with smart technologies. Numerous people bought smart bulbs that allow for accented lighting in their homes or smart thermostats to enable energy-saving measures. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas back in January, consumers got to see the next generation of smart home technology. One of the highlights was
the Kohler Moxie, a smart shower head with a built-in Alexa speaker. Taking a shower has been turned into a magical experience where it excites all our senses. Another item that was showcased and received a great deal of attention was an iO Series rechargeable electric toothbrush by Oral B. This brush markets itself as an in-home substitute for professional cleaning for your teeth. The built-in technology and the AI systems track where the brush has been and relays comprehensive data on the user’s brushing habits. One benefit of such a toothbrush is that it will make people more mindful of how they clean their teeth and if they are doing so properly. It is no secret that smart technologies come with a much higher price tag than standard technolo-
gy. A regular lightbulb costs roughly $2.50, and smart bulbs start at $1015 and can range up to $60 for a single bulb. However, it might be beneficial for some people in the long term, as having smart technologies that save energy and cost can reduce the power bill for the consumer and, with time, pay itself off. For others, the ease of convenience is simply priceless. No matter which side one may choose, smart technologies are here to stay. Countless businesses and homeowners have built their offices and homes with smart home technologies. Building smart homes and workplaces allow for seamless integration of automation into their lives and dramatically changes life. Maybe it’s finally time to cut the cord.
Fall Flight Certifi cates Congrats to our Embry-Riddle Flight Students! BRYAN MALIK CHEVER EMILY GRACE MICALLEF ALI ARTURO GONZALEZ CONNOR JACK KELLY PEYTON BROCK MAVITY SUHWAN KIM DIEGO ALEJANDRO AGUILA MORENO JOHN MACKENZIE HANCOCK GIANCARLO ANDRES RATTI TAMAYO SURYA PRIYA MURUGESAN JOSHUA THOMAS STATT JARED JOHN POFI ZACHARY MICHAEL FRIEDRICHS CHARLES REMINGTON HAUTAU KATELYN ROSE EBDON ROBERT JOSEPH BRUCE LEADER JOSEPH DONALD WALTZER HAILEY ANN BEST SHIVONNIE DAMONIE SCOTT Commercial Pilot VICTOR JEAN SPARACIA ANDREW JOSEPH LASZLO KYLE ROBERT ETZEL MATTHEW RYAN GLASS
RYAN CHARLES KRAUSS DONOVAN JR EVERTON TWIDDLE LAUREN KELLY NALSON JACOB MICHAEL SACCAL EVELYNE HELENE DUARTE LOPES GALVAO RYAN JOSEPH PATTISON MIA JAE MONELL ANGEL JAVIER AGRONT JR ESHAAN ANIL PATIL JOSEPH GARY D’ANTONIO BRITTNEY LYNN GARNETT ANUSHKA DEVI MAHARAJ KAYLIE MARIE SAVITZ LINNEA JADE HULL AMY LOUISE BURCH SONG HA LEE ALEC CHRISTOPHER DIAZ ZACHARY MICHAEL BECHER ANDY GONZALEZ LEYVA JOSEPH EDWARD TANAHEY DAEHONG KIM BIJAN SHAIBANI RYAN JAMES POWERS BENJAMIN WAYNE TAYLOR
Commercial Multiengine Add-On CONOR MATTHEW MCCOY ANDRES GRUNWALDT ANGENSCHEIDT WESLEY CHASE ATTEBERRY ANDREW MARKHUS ANDRASKO ARRON DEJESUS PAUL YVES ANDRE BONDET LONG FUNG JARON TANG JOHN-PAUL DEAN SATTAM ABDULAZIZ A BAKOLKA ZENING LOH MOHAMMED SAMEER A GHAITH EUGENIO URIONA DANIEL ANDRES BARBER FRANCES MICHELLE ROSE BEARD DIEGO ALEJANDRO ECHEVERRI WON CHAN PARK LIAM PATRICK MCKENNA WAYNE ANDREW JARRETT CHEN-YANG ONG TAT LEE BENEDICT LIM NIKOLEI SANTOS DY ERIC MICHAEL MOERLAND NISHIT MADHU FAWAD AHMAD SAHAR
Flight Instructor Airplane CHANGHYEOK LEE DONG KYUN KO TRAVIS STEPHEN TRACY JAMIE NAOMI ESTRADA CODY TYLER HINDMAN TRYSTAN KENNETH BATES BRITTNEY NICOLE PORTER Flight Instructor Instrument IPPU SHIBUYA JOSHUA MAX KANOFF MICHAEL DAVID LAWSON DAVID EDWARD ROMANOWSKI DANIEL KIM JOSE ERIC BASTIAN DANIEL AYRTON SENNA BUCHANAN CHETAN RAJIV GOORDEEN EUNJI AN YI-FAN WU COLTON AARON HERGOTT RAYMOND COLE HICKS TREVOR RAY MARTINEZ ALINA GIOVANNA GAGLIOLA DANIEL GUAN LIANG YAP SEULKI CHOI WAN PARK KYONGSEOK HAN STEVEN ANTHONY GILL JINWOOK SONG
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Smokey Mountains National Park Samantha Stirmel Business Manager Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a sight to behold year-round. Over 800 miles of land contains a vast amount of wildlife, making it a massive refuge for thousands of species. This park is one of the few parks protected by the National Parks Service that does not require an entry fee or pass to get in. Its accessibility to everyone makes it the ideal national park to visit on the east coast and every second is worth it. Over 34 different day hikes are available for people of all ages and abilities to go on and range from climbing mountains to scenic nature trails that end at waterfalls. One of the most popular waterfall trails is the Abrams Falls trail that ends at one of the park’s largest waterfalls. It is the ideal trail to do for an afternoon dip underneath the waterfall, being a five-mile round trip with only a couple hundred feet of elevation difference. As with most other trails in the mountains, it is
possible to see a lot of wildlife, including the black bear. The trailhead is ideally placed in the Cades Cove auto-loop section of the park, where you can see deer, bears, horses, and other wild animals roaming with the mountains looming in the background. One of the favorite longer hikes that go up a mountainside is the Alum Cave extension trail. The trail starts pretty busy with the visitor being able to see the Alum Cave and bluffs and walk through the nicely forested mountainside. At this point, the hiker has reached mile 2.7 of the trail, and most turn from this point to go back down into the forest. After this stop, you can continue to follow the trail another three miles up to the top of Mt Le Conte, getting some of the best views in the park. At the top of this mountain is a lodge where any weary hiker can rest their boots and grab lunch or even stay the night! The cabins near the lodge are rentable, entirely run on solar power, and include dinner and breakfast
Samantha Stirmel/The Avion Newspaper
This photo was taken overlooking Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the park, around sunset. It can be accessed by following a short, yet strenuous hike.
in the price of staying there. Other trails are going off to the other side of the mountain that allows you to walk around the mountain’s spine and give even better views of the surrounding wilderness. One of the favorite viewpoints for hikers on top of this mountain is Myrtle Point, which adds another mile or so out and back to your journey. Truly nothing can beat this hike in how classic it is and the fantastic views it gives you off the mountain’s edge. If there is ever a hike to do in the Smokies to get the full experience, it is this one. With several campgrounds disbursed throughout the Smokies, you can move around throughout the park rather easily and always have a nice warm place to sleep with a quality fire. In the writer’s opinion, one of the best campgrounds is Elkmont Campground near the middle of the park. It is genuinely the most amazing campground there is, with sites right by the Little River that runs through the park and limited visitors most of the
Samantha Stirmel/The Avion Newspaper
Shown above is Ramsey’s Cascades, a series of waterfalls. They are located off of one of the only trails to go through old growth forest.
year; it is quiet and peaceful and a great place to relax after a long day of hiking.
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COMICS & GAMES 61. Spiritual leader 62. Doctor of Education 63. Affirmative 64. Cheek
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1. Greasy powder (abbr.) 5. Rural Free Delivery (abbr.) 8. Amount of time 11. Greeting 13. Form of ‘to be’ 14. Israeli diploma 15. Outfit 16. The 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet 17. Deceptive movement
1. Popular kids’ game 2. Away from wind 3. Round water pot 4. Drink quickly 5. A simple type of jet engine 6. Something for nothing 7. Painkiller 8. Siskel’s pal 9. Strong spirit distilled in Turkey 10. Again 12. Imitate 14. Icelandic poems 19. Jacob __, American journalist 23. No (Scottish) 24. Newborn 25. Credit term 26. Nonprofit research group in CA 27. Male offspring 28. Important baseball stat 29. A way to compel 34. Fiddler crab 35. Jewish equivalent of ‘Sir’ 36. Every 37. Midway between east and southeast 39. Anti-slavery treaty 40. A friendly manner 41. Military figure (abbr.) 18. Anxious thorization (abbr.) 42. Area units 20. Popular Letterman guest 41. Erases 44. Sudden incursions 43. At ease 21. Saints’ signal caller 45. Small branch of an artery 45. Expressed pleasure 22. Intoxicate 46. Covered with hoarfrost 25. Relationship 48. Mother of Hermes 47. Job 30. Ask for one’s hand in 49. Body part 48. Donkey marriage 50. Cavalry sword 51. Swiss river 31. Popular Will Ferrell film 55. Wellness chants 52. Prejudice 32. Gargle 56. Helps little firms 53. Actor Idris 33. Warning sensation be57. Afflicted 54. Light dry-gap bridge (abbr.) fore migraine 59. Peep 58. Criticize 38. Returned material au60. Nellie __, journalist
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