Fall 2021 Issue 5
SGA Shuttle Service Ryleigh Tulgetske Correspondent
Photo Courtesy / Audra Dipierro
SGA Shuttle Service is a service fully funded by the SGA. This initiative was started in 2019 to help alleviate parking problems on campus. The Shuttle Service currently operates 5 routes: Eagle Landing Express. Chanute- Eagle Landing, Onshore, Bellamy and Mica Plex-Gemini. The shuttles run on school days only. They do not run during the summer or winter break, holidays, study days or finals. They run from 7 AM to 8 PM Monday through Friday with specific stop times. All drivers must be van approved by the University and Risk Management. They are also required to complete a multi-hour onboarding process and semesterly safety training. The service not only has student drivers running the routes, but student managers overseeing the daily operations. Audra Dipierro is the supervisor of the service.
Located inside each shuttle is a QR code for passenger feedback. Seats are a first come first served basis. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the route times are subject to change. The shuttle managers keep detailed records of passenger count, rush times, and percentages of passengers per route. This helps the SGA Shuttle Service determine where the service is needed and the possibility for growth. This has been the busiest semester yet with over 40,000 passengers to date. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to stop by our office on the second floor of the Student Union in the SGA Suite. You can also contact us by phone, 386-226-7336 or email, dbsgasss@erau.edu.
Jovon Thomas / The Avion
Jessie Abinsay / The Avion
Andrew Harker / The Avion
Toby Sopp / The Avion
Jovon Thomas / The Avion
Jovon Thomas / The Avion
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Dylan Kowlessar / The Avion
Andrew Harker / The Avion
Toby Sopp / The Avion
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Toby Sopp / The Avion
Toby Sopp / The Avion
Jovon Thomas / The Avion
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Jovon Thomas / The Avion
Andrew Harker / The Avion
Photo Courtesy / Vincent O'Connor
Toby Sopp / The Avion
Jessie Abinsay / The Avion
Andrew Harker / The Avion
International Education Week Sunwoong Yu News Editor
The third week of November was International Education Week. During the week, Dining Services was serving foods from all across the world, and the campus was full of exciting events such as the flag parade, culture and food festival, global beverages hour, among others. It was a fun and meaningful week for international students to gather and step up as a part of the Embry-Riddle community. Also, it was a great opportunity for everyone to learn about their friends’ culture, and to get prepared for today’s globalized work environment. Even though International Education Week is over, the University and community’s support for international students should definitely be continued. Walking around campus, it is easy to see international students. According to College Factual, Embry-Riddle’s Daytona campus has about 1,115 international students, which is 16.9% of all total students. This large number of international students, which continues to grow, brings tons of benefits to both the school and the students. International students, besides financially helping our University, continue to bring diversity on campus. Through them, students can learn about new cultures and perspectives. They also reinforce our university’s influence over the world. However, many international students experience frustration due to the language and culture barrier they face. Some international students have difficulties understanding classes, melting into a classroom, and using the University’s
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resources effectively. These problems can lead to frustration and affect students’ mental health. Because of the same barriers, recovering from these issues can also be harder for international students, as even using campus resources such as the counseling and advising program can look challenging. For these reasons, universities should invest in special resources for international students. More members of the school community should be aware of international students’ difficulties and try to provide adequate accommodations. Embry-Riddle is fortunate to have more than 10 international clubs such as the Korean Students Association, Caribbean Students Association, Latino Pilots Association, and many more, which support the students by bringing a sense of home in a country far from theirs. International Education Week was a great chance to remind international students that they are supported on campus, and show local students how diverse our community is! I hope spreading awareness about the issues international students face and reminding them of available resources will not be limited to International Education Week.
............................................... International Education Week photos courtesy of s photographers: Jessie Abinsay, Dylan Kowlessar, Eli Mai, Toby Sopp, and Jovon Thomas ...............................................
Flag Parade
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International Culture & Food Festival
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Global Beverages Hour
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Veteran’s Day Hockey Game Mikyla Berish Senior Reporter The ERAU Hockey Team hit the ice against South Florida on Nov. 12, and in honor of Veteran’s Day, the Eagles Hockey team wore special jerseys with the names of veterans present at the game to play for them. The atmosphere was electrifying as the ERAU Hockey Team dominated over South Florida throughout the entire game, ending with a final score of 11 to 1. After the game, an interview was conducted by The Avion’s Senior Reporter, Mikyla Berish, with Christopher Sirrel and Ron White, a player on the hockey team and a student veteran, respectively. The Avion (TA): What a great game you guys played! How was it like out there on the ice? Christopher Sirrel (CS): It was a lot of fun. Obviously, that team was a little weaker than us but that was a team put together by the coaches. It was a lot of fun getting to work as a team out there and still work on our basic fundamentals. TA: How do these types of games where you collaborate with other organizations help increase com-
munity outreach for these organizations? I know tonight’s game was to help raise money for the Semper Fi Fund. CS: This game was all about our veterans. There’s a lot of our players that are in the ROTC program, so a lot of military players are on our team. TA: Moving into Veteran’s Week, I know both you and Ron here are student veterans here at ERAU. Would you guys mind talking about what you did
while serving? Ron White (RW): Sure, I served between 2012 and 2017 as an avionics specialist in the air force working on M2-130Ps, M2-138s, Spec Ops 2130s. I worked on radar, navigation, radio, and GPS systems for aircraft. CS: It’s actually pretty funny, we started talking out there about our jobs. I was in the Marine Corps, and I was an avionics technician as well as on the Ospreys, so small world. Out of all the jobs in the military, we had the same one. I was in from 2013 to 2018, and then decided to come here. They have the best maintenance program in the country at EmbryRiddle. It was a no-brainer for me to use the GI bill and take advantage of that. It’s been awesome, I actually didn’t even know about the hockey team here until my sophomore year. With the COVID protocols last year we weren’t able to play games so it’s awesome being able to be part of the team this year.
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Photo Courtesy / Vincent O’Connor
TA: How would you say your experience as veterans at Embry-Riddle has been? CS: It’s been very good, we do so many programs, the SVO hosts all kinds of lunches, and it is definitely very welcoming, I would say. RW: Being part of the SVO we do a lot of outreach not only within the school but in the community. We host the Zach Capra 5k in the spring, and we just did the True to the Blue 5k here in the fall. It’s just a lot of fun to be able to socialize with other vets in the different branches going to Riddle. TA: How is it like making these personal connections here at Embry-Riddle outside the military? RW: This [is] kind of round two for my college experience. I got my Associate’s in Electrical Engineering before I joined the Air Force and now, I’m coming back for my Bachelor’s. It’s great being able to catch up and be a mentor to some of the younger ROTC students, telling them what it’s like in the military and what to expect and guide them.
Student Senate Forum Day Thursday, November 18, 2021
.......................................... All photos courtesy of ’s photographers: Salim Roig, Jovon Thomas, and Shije “Jerry” Zhong ..........................................
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SHUBH DIWALI Jovon Thomas | Staff Reporter
Diwali, also called Deepavali, or the ‘Festival of Lights’, is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains and is one of the biggest events of their calendar. In different parts of India, the cause of celebration varies. In northern India, they celebrate the story of King Rama’s return to Ayodhya after he defeated Ravana by lighting rows of clay lamps. Southern India celebrates it as the day that Lord Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura. In western India, the festival marks the day that Lord Vishnu sent the demon King Bali to rule the underworld. Overall, it celebrates good over evil and light over darkness. To mark this historic event in the Hindu calendar, the Indian Student Association hosted a celebratory event which was open to students, staff and the wider Daytona Beach community as well. It is safe to say that the event was a huge success.
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All photos by: Jovon Thomas / The Avion
Riddle Rumblings: Revamping Lab Reports Kayla Taylor Correspondent
What do Taco Bell and Riddle’s Chemistry Labs have in common? They are open all day every day – at least that’s how it seems. Chemistry Labs are now operating every day of the week to accommodate the enormous freshman population at Riddle. The chemistry content acts as the Lab’s Crunchwrap Supreme – it is clearly the top-seller for labs and the primary reason for the course’s existence. On the other hand, writing skills are like the Lab’s lowly bean burrito: unpopular, overlooked, and generally unsatisfying. Although crucial for lab reports, writing has not been a focus in the Chemistry Labs. A new interdepartmental study between the Humanities and Communication Department and the Chemistry Lab is striving to change this and prepare students for writing success. Dr. John Lamothe, course monitor for Technical Report Writing on the Daytona Beach Campus, began this study earlier this year. After being notified that lab reports were a consistent weakness for students, Dr. Lamothe felt obliged to take action. He approached Chemistry Lab manager Mr. AJ McGahran and proposed a partnership to improve writing Photo Courtesy / AJ McGahran
in Chemistry. Mr. McGahran enthusiastically agreed to be a co-investigator on the study. The duo then applied to the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) for a Classroom Impact Grant to fund the project. This collaboration has highlighted how shared expertise between departments can support struggling students. The study is now in the information gathering phase in which students are completing a post-semester survey to gauge confidence after submitting group lab reports for review. Surprisingly, after administering a pre-semester survey to each lab section, Dr. Lamothe and Mr. McGahran found that students initially felt confident about their writing abilities; low lab report grades may alter those original beliefs and indicate that some sort of change is necessary. Once surveys are analyzed, Dr. Lamothe intends to examine the report feedback from the lab teaching assistants. “The teaching and lab assistants for Chemistry have a very challenging job. There isn’t a graduate program in Chemistry on campus, so these students all come from other graduate departments. These non-chemistry students do the very best they can to explain the science background, prepare the lab setup, and still make time for teaching writing skills,” said Dr. Lamothe. The combination of survey statistics and course artifacts will allow Dr. Lamothe and Mr. McGahran to assess how the assignment itself or the course instruction should be modified to boost student success. By Fall 2022, Dr. Lamothe and Mr. McGahran hope to have enough data to begin implementing changes. One of the central goals of the study is to transform student attitudes regarding lab reports; Dr. Lamothe and Mr. McGahran hope to impart the importance of approaching the assignment rhetorically and appreciating the bigger picture of the assignment. Lab report practice would allow students to develop essential skills for graduate school and for industry, such as preparing research articles and organizing aviationrelated incident reports. Perhaps the most significant takeaway of this study is that faculty are addressing student concerns – a phenomenon that we hope all faculty will find inspiration from – so all students can improve and maintain their writing confidence. Page 11
Halloween Spooktacular Andrew Harker Staff Photographer
Although Halloween happened a few weeks ago, there were still many events to highlight and pictures to showcase. Some of the crazy events that the week and weekend included were the Tri-Sigma Fashion show, Skyline Social, Haunted House, Tarot Card Readings, costume party, and WIKD’s pumpkin carving event.
The fun did not stop there! Tarot Card readings, food, the haunted house, and the fantastic costume contest captivated the crowd and ended the night around 10 p.m. Throughout the evening, WIKD hosted a pumpkin carving content with a massive turnout for some huge prizes.
The Halloween weekend was Starting off the week, Tri-Sigma put on a Halloween Fashion Show one to remember. What was your to raise support for the March of favorite part? Dimes, a non-profit organization working to improve the lives of babies and moms. Hosted by Kyle Garcia and Ryan Adams, it was an enjoyable evening with performances by Sigma Kappa, Theta Phi Alpha, Alpha Xi Delta, Sigma Chi, Delta Chi, Pi Kappa Alpha, FIJI, Phi Delta Theta, and Tri-Sigma. That Friday (Oct. 29), Halloween Spooktacular, hosted by Student Engagement & Student Union, was a night to remember! Filled with memorable highlights, including fun games, drinks, and of course, Jessica, the duck, the entire Spooktacular event left everyone wanting more. Page 12
All photos by: Andrew Harker / The Avion
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Just For Laughs A Recap of TNG’s 2021 Comedy Magic Stunt Show Spectacular
Danielle Van Pelt Staff Reporter
As seen from America’s Got Talent and Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Eric Dittelman, and gold medalist juggler from the Netherlands, Niels Duinker, stole the show by presenting a comedy magic stunt show spectacular. Hosted by Touch-N-Go Productions, the show was presented at the Student Union Event Center and opened with the fascinating mind reader, Eric Dittelman. Dittelman combines mind reading with stand-up comedy. He performed over five tricks for the audience and each one left the crowd amazed. A fan favorite trick was when he took two fifty-cent coins and placed them on his eyes. He then proceeded to ask a fellow audience member to duct tape his eyes as much as he’d like. With a head full of duct tape, and a sleeping mask (because why not), he asked three audience members to draw any picture they desired. Dittelman’s goal was to predict what each audience member drew. He was able to nail all three drawings which were a giraffe, a cactus, and Homer Simpson.
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I decided to sit in the front row for this event to make sure I could hear and see clearly. However, I didn’t expect to be a part of Dittelman’s show! For one of his many illusions, he asked an audience member to think of a unique Halloween costume they dressed up as one year. I, alongside a few other students, was called on stage and he asked me to write the costume on paper. I was allowed to write it anywhere in the room, so he couldn’t cheat somehow by looking over me or with some hidden camera. I then put my paper in an envelope. That envelope then went to an audience member to hold possession of it. Dittelman then asked me a series of questions. He asked, “Is this a historical figure? Doesn’t this figure have a famous phrase?” I said “yes” to both the questions. I felt bad on the stage because I swore I was going to mess this show up because there was no way Dittelman could guess my costume, but I was wrong! He wrote the name on his sketch pad and sure enough it was the exact costume I was thinking of. Marie Antoinette. Who guesses that?!
After Dittelman’s captivating performance, Niels Duinker took the stage who performed many juggling tricks that fascinated the audience. He used props such as balls, pins, hats, knives, etc. Some of his props even glowed in the dark and Duinker was able to perform an amazing light show. Also incorporating comedy, he revolved his show around gambling. He asked an audience member for a dollar bill, and since I had one, I was called on stage again! He placed my dollar in an envelope which went into a cigar box. Duinker proceeded to juggle three cigar boxes and my job was to keep track of which cigar box had my dollar bill. I ended up winning and got my one-dollar bill back. However, the other two boxes contained a 50-dollar and a 100-dollar bill. I guess that’s what I get for gambling. At least I have a good memory! Duinker performed more tricks by using dangerous props and juggling over an audience member while they were blindfolded. Overall, Dittelman and Duinker stole the show and were adored by the audience.
All photos by: Toby Sopp / The Avion
Flight Certifications FA LL 2 0 2 1
__________________________ Congratulations to those who received their certification!
PRIVATE PILOT (121) _____________________________ Aldric Omar Johns Jr Jemima Nsimire Bisimwa
INSTRUMENT RATING (221) _____________________________ Adam Abram Hochella Anthony Joseph Dimaggio II Brendan Joseph Sise Caden Foster James Carter Edward Mickley Albers Chanwoo Park Colin Michael Lombardi Daniel Enrique Acevedo Traverso Dawson Prescott Ruggles Donggyoon Kim Ethan Ross Mizrahi Guillaume Andre Aime Chevrier Hayden Chase Williams Ho Jin Jung Isabella Christine McKibbin Jacob Martin Ostrowski Jacob Michael Lyons Jesse John Williams Jhaden Lavon Sydnor Jinhang Chen Joshua Lovett Herring Justin Scott Chase Kiana Marie McQuade Kolby Evan Carter-Varner Lucas Ordway Khanh Klauer Michael Junior Blanco Sarah Downing Stephenson Steven Robert Saraniero Jr Sultan Khaled O Almousbahi Ting-Hao Lao Vince Peter Japos Taguba William John Patin III Yu-Cheng Chiang Zachary Edward Korcok Zachary Tyler Ray
COMMERCIAL PILOT (321, 322, 324) _____________________________ Al Hussein Ali Ferman Alexander Walter Gerdes Andrew George Larson Andrew Tetsuya Mcfarren Anthony Michael Chimino Brandon David Paterson Brice Christopher Grubb Cameron Sebastian Giffin Christopher Joseph Paluzzi Duncan Lewis Hetzer Ethan Kenney Miter Hwajung Lee Hyeok Heo Hyuk Jun Kwon Inho Song Jake Evart Hallem Jessica Del Carmen Giron John Michael Tasko Jr. Juan Diego Iturri Del Aguila Justin Andrew Chirco Kee Hyuk Choi Kent Taguri Ura Kevin Gabriel Gelin Malik Gabriel Inniss Marcus Daniel Leonard Matthew Steven Soja Maxim Tiokhin Mehmet Ula Myunghun Yoo Phillip Joseph Oates Spencer Samuel Siegel Tyler Tomas Ollis
COMMERCIAL MULTIENGINE ADD-ON (323) ___________________________
Ingu Yoon Jacob Alexander Davis Jamie Padarath Jeffrey John Coleman Jr Jesse Miles Neaville Joshua Steven Clawson Kingsley Jarrard Simons Madeline Leigh Knause Matthew David Hernandez Noah Matthew Kersey Parvathkutty Ghosh Ryan Henry Austin Steven Thomas Lange Taeyun Kim Tyler Joseph Zampino Victor Jean Sparacia Wei Tan Yen-Ting Lee Youyoung Park Zachary James Wilkie Zen Bharat Manwani
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR INSTRUMENT (417I) _____________________________ Ann Marie Petrone Brendan Michael Kirkpatrick Daehong Kim Erin Marie Ott
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR MULTIENGINE ADD-ON (460) _____________________________ Se Hee Sim
Cody Tyler Hindman Hee Seon Yang John William Van Ruitenbeek William Nelson Taylor
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE (417A) ___________________________ Andre Demetrius Williams Daehong Kim Emily Ann Kretschmer Emily Clare Pascual Ethan David Sohaney Hee Seon Yang
Seamus “Hunter” Lyons / The Avion
[R U X] Corner
................................................................................ We are graduate and undergraduate students in the Research in User eXperience (RUX) Lab in the Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology. RUX investigates the usability and user experience of technology in our everyday world. This is a regular column that explores different technologies typically used by Embry-Riddle students. ................................................................................
Are Users “Raving” About the Eagle Guardian App?
Erika Mandile | Graduate Researcher Jasmine Allen | Undergraduate Researcher
The Rave Guardian app (promoted as “Eagle Guardian”) is a free tool used by organizations and universities to offer safety resources to students and faculty. Eagle Guardian’s features include anonymous tip lines to report suspicious activity on campus, direct lines of communication with Campus Safety, and a Virtual Escort that will provide a way to alert chosen contacts of your location. The app has great potential as a safety tool for students walking around campus, but here in the RUX Lab, we are wondering how aware students are of the features it offers. We set out to research students’ familiarity with and usage of the app, as well as their impressions about its overall usability. A brief survey was distributed to students, asking if they knew about the app, where they have heard about it, and if they have used it. We received 32 responses, equally divided by males and females. Of the 22 respondents who have heard of the app, 59.1% reported hearing about it from Campus Communications emails, 45.5% from freshmen orientation, and 40.9% from Campus Safety and Security. It is clear that students are hearing about the app, but they just don’t find it necessary to download. Although 22 students have heard of the app, 72.7% of them have never downloaded it. Those who did reported using it rarely. To try and understand what features students used within the app, we asked those who have used it why they downloaded it. Responses were similar, such as “for safety,” or “So I could feel safer when I walked home” and “it seemed helpful in case I was in danger Page 16
while on campus.” Using the app rarely is not necessarily a bad thing, as this app may not be one that’s needed all the time, however, it’s helpful to have handy if it’s ever needed. A usability study was performed with five students, ranging from sophomores to seniors. Four were firsttime users, and one had it downloaded but never explored it. Participants were asked their first and final thoughts of the app and to complete five short tasks. Tasks included asking where they would go to submit an anonymous tip or to set up the virtual escort. After each task, participants rated their perceived difficulty on a scale of one (very difficult) to five (very easy). First impressions from users were that the app was “about safety” and “getting in touch with campus safety,” which aligns with the app’s purpose. To compare task difficulty amongst participants, averages were calculated from difficulty ratings.
Image Courtesy / Erika Mandile Bar Graph of Average Difficulty For Each Task
Task three, setting up the virtual escort, was the most difficult for participants to complete as it had the lowest score of 2.8, although participants found this to be the most useful feature. Lower scores signify higher levels of difficulty when completing tasks. Overall, most participants indicated that they would have liked to see a tutorial on how to use the app and see the app being advertised around campus more. They made clear that the app seems useful, but it’s just not an app that the participants themselves would be reaching for; participants commented that they would usually call friends to let them know where they were going or call Campus Safety directly from their phone. However, students may be interested in using the app if advertising was more effective and demonstrated its unique features. We completed a heuristic evaluation of the app’s homepage, in which we applied universal guidelines to the app and determined whether the app complies. The homepage received a score of 44%, which is not ideal. A higher score indicates better complacency with the guidelines. The homepage is clear and showcases important information for users; however, it lacks freedom for users to search, and the app icons are not logically ordered by what is important to the user. There is nowhere for users to find information about the app
or how to use it. Providing an “about us,” a “frequently asked questions” or tutorial section would give users a chance to experience all features of the app before they give up on it and decide to never use it again. During the study, it was noted that many participants paused before tapping icons because they were unsure of where to navigate to complete the task. In emergency situations, students won’t have the time to look around for the correct features they need. Future considerations for the app should include prioritizing the most important content. One participant commented that Campus Safety numbers should be placed on the home screen so that users don’t have to look around for them. Key takeaways from our research include that students are hearing about the app, but not hearing the full extent of features that make it useful, which can be addressed through modified ads. Regarding the overall usability, redesigning the app’s home screen to ensure the most important information is at the forefront for users will prevent time being wasted from tapping about the app when they need it most. Finally, creating a simple 20-second tutorial will show users everything the app has to offer and will allow for students to be eager to take advantage of all the app’s useful features.
Image Courtesy / Paige Wilson, ERNIE Announcements
Advertisement for Eagle Guardian For Embry-Riddle
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Title IX Town Hall Salim Roig Editor-In-Chief On Nov. 16, the Student Government Association hosted a special town hall centered around Title IX. The purpose of the event was to allow students to air out any questions and concerns about Title IX and anything Title IXrelated. The event was informational and many who left the event felt that their understanding of discrimination/ harassment increased. Here are some key takeaways many had after the event: · If you now someone who has been sexually harassed, you could issue a Title IX allegation on their behalf. This is known as a bystander report.
The following article contains a poem anonymously submitted to The Avion. Be advised of content about rape and sexual harassment.
· If you have ever been sexually harassed and fear reporting it because you don’t want to ruin someone else’s life, don’t be. You have a right to self-advocate and if you know you have been sexually harassed, you should report it. · It is not just women who can be sexually harassed, men could be too. Due to a large stigma telling men to keep their problems to themselves, many feel too afraid to go to Title IX. That should never be the case. Anyone can be harassed regardless of their sexual orientation, or gender identity. You have the right to self-advocate.
Andrew Harker / The Avion
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I saw my rapist today I wanted to run and hide That’s what I could’ve done But I walked right past him Looked him in the eye It’s been a year, I thought It’s been twelve months It’s been many seconds And I still can’t believe it I saw my rapist today I’m pretty sure he remembers The way I told him to stop The way I panicked The way I tricked him to the door He didn’t see me crying on the floor He didn’t see me suffer He didn’t see me lost and broken
· If you see someone being harassed, even if you don’t know who they are, you can still advocate for them. Nobody should be harassed on this campus and a good way to cut on harassment is by changing students’ mentalities towards it. This could be as significant as reporting them to Title IX or as small as walking up to them to talk. Every act of advocacy counts. Do not be afraid to advocate for yourself or others. Again, every act of advocacy counts.
Andrew Harker / The Avion
I’m sure he didn’t see me Behind a pretty face and body I’m sure he didn’t know That time doesn’t always heal you I’m sure he was too focused On his own satisfaction And thank God he didn’t get it Because I had time to shut the door Yet he’s still here, free and alive Free to repeat it all over again I saw my rapist today And I’m pretty sure he saw me Or just another pretty face Another pretty object Another opportunity Another woman
Jenkins Honored as SSC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Beach Community and has volunteered with Bike for Multiple Sclerosis, Children’s Miracle Network Dance Marathon Fundraiser, and the American Heart Association Heart Walk.
Embry-Riddle men’s basketball senior Elijah Jenkins added another honor to his extensive list of accolades when he was named the 2020-21 Sunshine State Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The epitome of “Student, Person, Player,” Jenkins, is the first ERAU student athlete to claim an SSC end-of-year award.
the College Sports Information Directors of America in ERAU basketball history. He has been awarded the prestigious Steve & Vicky Ridder Scholarship (2020-21), was the recipient of an Eagles of Excellence scholarship, and has been selected as the guest speaker representing ERAU’s student athletes at the University’s Blue & Gold Gala.
Native to Atlanta, Georgia, Jenkins is on an accelerated track at ERAU, pursuing an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering as well as an MBA. He is also minoring in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics and boasts a 3.975 cumulative grade point average.
“This is possibly the most prestigious honor in the history of our basketball program,” Embry-Riddle Men’s Basketball Head Coach Steve Ridder said. “Elijah’s success is an example of great parenting, dedication, discipline, and drive to achieve the priorities in his life.”
Jenkins has been named to the Sunshine State Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll four times, to the NABC Honors Court twice, and is the only two-time Academic All-American as selected by
A recipient of the Embry-Riddle College of Engineering Dean’s List, Jenkins was named the 2021 ERAU College of Engineering Outstanding Undergraduate Student and was part of the So-
lar Studz team that won first place in the Solar District Cup, a competition run by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory that challenges students to design and model optimized energy systems by integrating such technologies as solar energy and storage for a campus or urban district. He has interned with Boeing’s Commercial Aircraft Division and with Carrier Corporation in the Commercial Engineering Department. Jenkins is also active on campus and in the community. He helped initiate the Eagle Study Connection, which is a service to help studentathletes receive help with academics, including oneon-one tutoring with study mentors, and was selected to be the student athlete speaker at an event for Food Brings Hope. He has participated in numerous clean-up programs within the Daytona
A three-year starter for the Blue and Gold, Jenkins has averaged 28.2 minutes per game over his collegiate career, shooting 42 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point land, and 79 percent from the free throw line. He has averaged 9.2 points and 2.3 assists over 86 career contests, and he ranks seventh all-time with 196 made three-point field goals. “Elijah is the very best ambassador of our University, our Athletic Department, and our basketball program,” Ridder said. “We are so proud of all of Elijah’s accomplishments, on the court, in the classroom, in his life. It is truly an honor to coach this special young man.” Voting for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is conducted among Athletic Directors, Senior Woman Administrators, Athletic Communication Directors, and Faculty Athletic Representatives from the 11 SSC member institutions. Read this story and catch the latest updates about athletics at erauathletics.com
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Men’s Basketball Holds Off Warhawks, 82-74 on Final Day of Bahama House Shootout Ryan Mosher Assistant Director of Sports Information
The Embry-Riddle men’s basketball team moved to 6-0 on the season on Saturday, Nov. 20, holding off Auburn Montgomery’s charge in the second half of the final game of the 2021 Bahama House Shootout 82-74. The Eagles (6-0) saw a 13-point lead in the second half disappear as the Warhawks (1-3) at one point were shooting 70% in the frame to tie the game with six minutes left, but the home team was able to outscore AUM 11-4 over the last threeand-a-half minutes to emerge with the eight-point win. Romeo Crouch scored a game-high 21 points with four triples (three coming in the second half), while Jon Alessandro went for his third straight double-double, scor-
#01 Romeo Crouch
#12 Elijah Jenkins Page 20
ing 17 points and pulling down a career-best 15 rebounds. Elijah Jenkins, who was honored prior to the start of the contest for his 2020-21 Sunshine State Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, had 14 points, five assists, and five boards, and Malcolm Whitlow provided 14 points and four boards off the bench. The Eagles started the night ice cold from the floor, going 0-for-7 from the field before Jenkins made a baseline jumper that resulted in an and-one more than five minutes into the contest. AUM led 15-7 on a Deven Tucker layup at the 11:09 mark, but the Eagles rattled off eight straight points, including a pair of three-pointers from Crouch and Whitlow, to tie the game at 15-15.
#14 Jon Alessandro
#22 Malcolm Whitlow
ERAU took its first lead of the night on two Whitlow free throws a few moments later, and that sparked a 7-0 run, capped by a Jenkins trey, making it 23-16. Embry-Riddle extended the lead to 11 at the 2:43 mark when Crouch got a steal and breakaway layup to put ERAU up 34-23, and the Blue and Gold would take a 39-29 cushion into the break.
Photo Courtesy / Christopher Elwell
The second period was controlled by the Eagles for the first five minutes as the hosts pulled out to a 13-point advantage on a Nick Heard and one (55-42). It seemed like the game was nearly in hand for Embry-Riddle as they led 60-50 with 12:19 to play. However, the Warhawks started to get hot, getting their deficit down to 64-61 on a Jeremiah Bozeman three with 7:50 on the clock, and after the Eagles missed a shot and free throws, Isaiah Hart tied the game with another three a minute later. Crouch’s jumper on the next Eagle possession put ERAU back in front, and the Eagles got a defensive stop before Alessandro got a pass from Crouch and converted the jumper in the paint to push the lead to four. A steal from Nikola Jerotic and a three from Jenkins seemed once again to pretty much wrap things up for the Eagles, but again the Warhawks answered, outscoring the home team 6-0 over the next two minutes, cutting the Eagle lead to 71-70
with 3:42 to play. The biggest bucket of the night came on the next Eagle possession as Crouch drilled a three-pointer to give ERAU some breathing room. AUM got back to within a possession on a pair of free throws from Bozeman with 69 seconds left, but Alessandro found Whitlow with the shot clock winding down on the next trip down the floor, and Whitlow hit an acrobatic layup while being fouled, converting the andone for the Eagles to have a 79-74 lead. The Eagles forced a missed shot from AUM and then Whitlow and Jenkins made three-of-four free throws in the last 20 seconds to seal the victory. In addition to his game-high 21, Crouch dished out six assists, collected three steals, and had three rebounds. Heard finished with eight points, and two boards, while Jerotic pulled down six rebounds.
Women’s Soccer Repeats as SSC Tournament Champions Sports Information Team ERAU Athletics
inside the box. However, the Eagles’ penalty kick was just wide of the mark and the score remained at 1-0. The Eagles had the more dangerous chances on offense in the second half, and while the Panthers enjoyed some possession, the Eagle defense stood firm keeping Florida Tech off the board for their sixth shutout of the season.
Photo Courtesy / Mike Waters Photography
An early, first-half goal was all the 14th-ranked Embry-Riddle women’s soccer team need to win its second Sunshine State Conference tournament title on Sunday, Nov. 14. Just two weeks after capturing the program’s first SSC regular season championship, the Eagles bested Florida Tech (10-3-5) 1-0 to win their second consecutive tournament crown in front of their home crowd at the Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium. The first team to sweep both regular season and tournament titles since Barry did it in 2018, the Eagles outshot the Panthers 11-9 to improve their overall record to 10-3-3 and secure an automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA II Soccer Championship. In contrast to the previous
meeting between the Eagles and the Panthers this season, it was the Eagles who struck first in Sunday’s game. Sofia Munthe Nilsson won the ball on the left side of midfield and played it forward to Ragnheidur Gardarsdottir at the top of the 18-yard box. Gardarsdottir executed a first-touch pass to Marie Myhrvold Seim who knocked in her fifth goal of the season to put the Eagles up 1-0 in the fifth minute. The momentum quickly shifted in the Panthers’ favor, however as they began to control more of the possession. At the 6:58 mark, Marem Ndiongue hit a shot on frame, but ERAU goalkeeper Oona Jokinen hauled in the save to keep the Panthers off the board.
Moments later, Ndiongue threatened again. This time her shot struck the crossbar and fell to an unmarked Jordan Michaels at point blank range. Once again, Jokinen was up for the challenge and her diving save turned back Michaels’ attempt at an equalizer. The Panthers had a 6-4 edge in shots in the first half, but nothing troubled Jokinen and the Eagles took their one-goal lead into the intermission. The Eagles had an opportunity to add to their tally at the start of the second half when the Panthers were called for handling the ball
Following Sunday’s game, five Eagle players were recognized for their performance in the SSC tournament. Myhrvold Seim, Jokinen, Munthe Nilsson, Grace Foyer and Inga Agustsdottir were named to the All-Tournament team, while Anita Agustsdottir was named tournament MVP.
#9 Marie Myhrvold Seim
#6 Isabelle Navren
#15 Ragnheidur Gardarsdo
#2 Saba Amiri
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Photo Courtesy / Shijie “Jerry” Zhong
Airport Management Club Alexandria Cogdell | Correspondent
The Airport Management Club (American Association of Airport Executives Southeast Chapter) is an organization that is home to many and open to all. The Airport Management Club Chapter is home to aviation enthusiasts, and anyone who would love to hear more about this side of the industry. Amongst COVID, the club itself has had many triumphs, instead of failures. Guest speakers and Alumni from across the nation spoke to the group about their daily tasks, airport operations and management, and life after graduation. They’re also one of the few clubs to grow membership through the pandemic, instead of seeing a decline. This semester alone, the group has toured St. PeteClearwater International Airport in October and Jacksonville International Airport in November. By joining this organization, you are given tools to apply for scholarships, network with professionals across the airport industry, learn vital skills, and make new friends. They hope to welcome you in their organization, as it truly is for all to learn and share experiences. Airport Management Club meets on select Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Be sure to join their CampusGroups if you’re interested!
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All photos courtesy Airport Management Club / ERAU
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