| Issue 7 | Volume 146 | Tuesday, November 1, 2016 | theavion.com |
Image Courtesy: NASA
Astronaut Alumna Nicole Stott Shares Experiences, Recieves Gift Henry Neiberlien News Editor
What’s Inside
The Embry-Riddle Daytona branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics held another one of their tech talks this past Monday in the College of Aviation atrium with a very special guest. Nicole Stott is a graduate of the Embry-Riddle class of 1987, a member of the board of trustees, and she was a NASA astronaut. During her time at NASA she flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery twice and spent three months and two weeks across two separate stays aboard the ISS. She did not become an astronaut overnight, however, and even after working for NASA for over a decade it still took multiple application attempts and interviews before she was accepted into the program. After two to three years of preparation flying across the world to the ISS’s international partners, training
on both American and Russian systems, and becoming a NASA aquanaut visiting the undersea habitat of Aquarius, Stott would finally board the space shuttle Discovery for STS-128’s mission to the ISS. Stott described the launch as not being so bad at first with just the liquid fueled engines running for the first few seconds, but when the solid rocket boosters kicked in it felt like a “smack” and feeling as though multiple people were suddenly sitting on top of you. Seeing the ISS for the first time was a surreal experience and something Stott said she was very thankful for. After losing her father in a small plane crash many of her family and friends never thought she would want to fly again, but there she was 249 miles above the surface of the Earth aboard the largest spacecraft ever constructed. Stott said that “nothing prepares you for it,” and “I had to pinch myself, to make sure
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I was not dreaming.” During her first threemonth stay aboard the ISS she realized that although the experience of spaceflight itself is exciting, the people you spend it with is the best part. Nicole and her crewmates were productive but also had a lot of fun. Celebrating Halloween by constructing costumes out of spare parts around the space station, and welcoming the owner of Cirque de Soleil, Guy Laliberte, who flew to the station with his own money. Stott participated in a spacewalk in which she and her spacewalk partner had to sleep in the airlock to help reduce the nitrogen in their bodies and operated the Canadarm robotic arm to berth the Japanese HTV cargo spacecraft to the ISS. After her second trip to the ISS she returned on the final flight of space shuttle Discovery, Stott said she wishes the Shuttle fleet kept flying by saying “the shuttle is a beautiful vehicle for cargo and people to
and from the ISS.” After the conclusion of STS-133 Stott retired from the NASA astronaut office and began to look for ways to spread the word about her experience to as many people as possible. Aboard the ISS she became the first person to paint in space and thought she could use art to send a message. Stott now travels the globe spreading her message through sharing her artwork and photography.
asked them to try and 3-D print a model of the ISS. The model itself is quite impressive, measuring upwards of three feet wide and two feet long. The model was constructed by modeling each component in CATIA and printing them individually before finally assembling them into the finished model. The 3-D printed ISS will be displayed on campus, but the final location has yet to be decided.
Billy Nguyen/Avion Newspaper Nicole Stott is presented with the 3-D printed International Space Station by the students who created the model of the ISS. She flew on the ISS twice, as well as Space Shuttle Discovery on the STS 128 and STS 133 missions.
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When asked what was her favorite part of her experiences she said: “my favorite thing was all of it wrapped up together.” During the AIAA event, Stott was presented with a 3-D printed scale model of the International Space Station. A team of four students, Patrick Serafin, Francisco Pastrana, Collin Topolski, and Joel Vela, constructed this over an extended period as a personal project after Stott
Van Gogh’s Life Told Through One Man Play
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The Avion
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Jaclyn Wiley Henry Neiberlien Emily Rickel Madeline Eitniear Keenan Thungtrakul Collin Anderson Andy Bronshteyn Zach Fedewa Devin Edwards Abby Otero Cedieu Gantt Rachel Dooley Billy Nguyen Sariah Adviento Nicole Drevlow
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The Avion is produced weekly during the fall and spring term, and bi-weekly during summer terms. The Avion is produced by a volunteer student staff. Student editors make all content, business and editorial decisions. The editorial opinions expressed in The Avion are solely the opinion of the undersigned writer(s), and not those of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Student Government Association, The Avion, or the student body. Letters appearing in The Avion are those of the writer, identified at the end of the letter. Opinions expressed in the “Student Government” and “Student Life” sections are those of the identified writer. Letters may be submitted to The Avion for publication, provided they are not lewd, obscene or libelous. Letter writers must confine themselves to less than 800 words. Letters may be edited for brevity and formatted to newspaper guidelines. All letters must be signed. Names may be withheld at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. The Avion is an open forum for student expression. The Avion is a division of the Student Government Association. The Avion is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press. The costs of this publication are paid by the Student Government Association and through advertising fees. The Avion distributes one free copy per person. Additional copies are $0.75. Theft of newspapers is a crime, and is subject to prosecution and Embry-Riddle judicial action. This newspaper and its contents are protected by United States copyright law. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in print or electronically, without the expressed written consent of The Avion. Correspondence may be addressed to: The Avion Newspaper, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, Florida 32114. Physical office: John Paul Riddle Student Center, Room 110. Phone: (386) 226-6049. Fax: (386) 226-6727.
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ISIS: Why It Exists and What It Intends to Accomplish Keenan Thungtrakul Senior Reporter We have all heard news about ISIS or at least have heard political candidates talk about the terror group. Look no further than the three presidential debates this year; ISIS was one of the major topics brought onto the table for the two major candidates. ISIS’ full name is the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Notorious for its propaganda, methods of radicalization, and beheadings of common citizens because of religion, ISIS has become one of the central targets of the War On Terror. What led to the formation of such a radical group? What are the followers trying to accomplish? Where are they obtaining the principles they use to draw people into their cult? On the night of Oct. 25, a large group of Embry-Riddle students and members of the public gathered in the IC Auditorium to hear a talk presented by journalist Graeme Wood of The Atlantic magazine. Wood wrote an article for the publication in March 2015 where he talked about “What does ISIS really want?” To obtain the information needed to
write such an article, Wood traveled to the hotbed of the struggle against the terror group: Mosul, Iraq. The city used to be an ISIS stronghold, and now military operations are trying to retake the city. The main things Wood hit at in his talk that night was how the group formed and what its true goal was. The withdrawal of American troops from Iraq left this “power vacuum” in the country, enabling the formation of terror groups like ISIS. Feeding on chaos, they take advantage of any place with disorder or poor government. Now, do not start thinking that the power vacuum was the sole cause of the terror group. While the vacuum did have a role in the emergence of the group, the more accurate reason is a change in the method of interpretation of sacred religious texts. Such changes are almost impossible to control, and it shows a consequence of the religious diversity present in one of the world’s monotheistic religions. ISIS also stems from a change in jihadism or the belief in “holy war.” This term has grown in usage since the all-too-familiar terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It started out as a war
intended to be against anti-Islamic targets but later turned around to be a war against other Muslims. They would attack other Muslims based on their religious beliefs, and if they were found not to adhere to their system of belief, they would meet their untimely end. They thought that their actions would facilitate the coming of the apocalypse, which in their view is the fulfillment of a prophecy. The next step would be to install a caliphate government, one that is headed by a Muslim ruler. What was interesting to note was that if what they thought would push the prophecy’s fulfillment forward failed, the leaders would simply pivot to a new target and reassure its followers through a well-crated excuse: “Oh, that was part of the fulfillment, maybe that was not the intended target…” What concerned a lot of people that evening was the radicalization process. With social media and the Internet, recruiting members is easier than ever. Wood told a story about eavesdropping on a conversation on social media where someone opens a normal conversation with his or her friend and soon after, bring
forth the radical beliefs in an attempt to persuade the friend to enter the cause. One time, Wood took a trip to Australia to interview a young man who grew up in a suburban home only to become one of ISIS’ propaganda distributors. The threat is real, and it has led to some crazy acts. Wood ended his talk with a story of how some new Australian radicals wanted to join up with others in the Philippines. They bought a boat and tried to take it north, but their lack of experience at sea and their suspicious activity got them caught at the hands of the Australian equivalent of the FBI. Here in America though, while the threat of ISIS-induced terror is real, the domestic attacks that are seen on the news are not common. Supporters here are usually depleted of the resources necessary to mount such large-scale attacks, so right now it is safe to say that we will be okay. Let us not overthink this threat so much that it stays in our heads. While we have no control over how the religious texts are interpreted, we can at least continue our military efforts in the hope that the sense of danger can be minimized.
Study Abroad Showcase Keenan Thungtrakul Senior Reporter Every summer, the Office of Global Engagement offers a wide range of study abroad programs. With 15 different programs and over 15 unique destinations, there is bound to be a place for everyone to go. On the evening of Oct. 27, a large group of students gathered in the IC Auditorium to be welcomed by the Office of Global Engagement’s new “marketing team”: two inflated dinosaurs throwing around globe beach balls. This flurry of tossing balls around filled the atmosphere with enthusiasm and excitement for what was to come. For some, it was a reunion with old friends from past study abroad experiences, and for others, it was a taste of what is to come. Embry-Riddle’s summer study abroad programs are growing exponentially, this summer about 200 students went abroad, and next year’s
number is estimated to be larger. With over 15 different programs offered through Daytona alone, the opportunity is there for anyone who has his or her mind on it. If you are one of those who attended the forum that evening, I encourage you to think about this. If you choose to go, you will be spending up to a month in another country or somewhere else in the United States, taking classes that will not only help you get ahead in your academics but will also enable you to make memories that last a lifetime. Plus, you get to save a decent amount of money compared to a summer here. For example, I had the chance to take a study abroad to Greece, and comparing that with a summer spent on campus, I saved about $700. Pretty good, considering I the fact I even got a small school scholarship to help with the trip. The Greece programs are arguably the most expensive of all the study abroad programs offered, but for those that can
afford it, the experience you will have is unforgettable. The forum started off with a promotional video produced by the extreme adventure company Get Lost. It showed some of the activities that students engaged in while on the program, the most notable being a sailing trip around the iconic Cyclades Islands coupled with hikes up on Mount Olympus and the northwestern mountains. Towards the end, both programs would feature interactive workshops with either the Antikythera Mechanism Research team or Aegean Airlines. Besides the Greece programs, there are also programs that will take you to either the UK, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Australia, Israel, and more! All programs are conducted in English by Embry-Riddle faculty, and in some programs, professors at local universities will help teach. Each program has at least one class that students can take to satisfy either gener-
al education requirements or major-specific requirements. Engineering, business, aviation safety, communication, weather/meteorology, etc. Following the presentation of all the programs offered, the application process was outlined. In a nutshell: the sooner you apply, the sooner you will be placed in the program so that it can be closed and you can get your airplane ticket. Note that flights and most meals are out-of-pocket, including any souvenirs or side trips. For international programs, if you do not have a passport or are in need of renewal, that needs to be done as soon as possible. Also, if this is your first time studying abroad, money does not need to be an issue. Scholarships are available through the respective colleges, and any financial aid valid for summer terms can be used. Remember, once all your paperwork and tickets are procured and completed, the next step is to get ready for an epic adventure!
01 Opinion Students Forced to Evacuate Only Six Hours Before Matthew Makes Landfall Page
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Collin Anderson Correspondent
Two weeks ago reminded us that hurricane season is not quite over yet. Hurricane Matthew’s appearance left many without power, roadways washed out, and even claimed lives of people who lived in Volusia County. As the Embry-Riddle campus and Daytona Beach community rebuild, there is one question on everyone’s mind; why were the dorms not evacuated until six hours before the hurricane hit? On Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 5:58 p.m., every student received an email from Jeannise Johnson stating that classes after 12:30
p.m. on Oct. 6 would be canceled and, that on Friday, the campus would be closed. The email also stated they were expecting “deteriorating weather conditions Thursday and tropical storm force winds into Friday.” This information was distributed despite the fact that Matthew was predicted to make landfall in Daytona Beach as a Category 3/4 hurricane by NOAA and other trusted agencies. The email also stated very clearly that the dorms would remain open for resident students through the storm. According to Embry-Riddle’s website, under “Emergency Notification, Response, and Evacuation,” and under the heading
“Hurricane Precautions,” the following can be read: “In the event that hurricane-force winds are forecast for the Daytona Beach area, the campus will begin evacuation procedures.” On Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 9:12 a.m., Daytona Beach University Housing sent an email to all residential students stating again that the resident halls will remain open. At this time, NOAA had determined Matthew had gained strength and would be projected to hit Daytona as a Category 4. That afternoon, at 4:38 p.m., Housing sent out another email stating that the dorms would remain open, for the third time. In this email, they again
say they were expecting “deteriorating conditions Thursday with the strongest winds occurring from Thursday evening through Friday evening.” On Thursday, Oct. 6 at 10:46 a.m., the inevitable happened. An email was sent by university communications stating that “Due to the increasing expectation of hurricane force winds, all Embry-Riddle residence halls will begin evacuations this morning. Residence halls will close at 4 P.M.” Bands of the hurricane were supposed to be getting to Daytona six hours from when the email was sent. A few hours before that email was sent, Governor Rick Scott
thew worked up the coast. Some of these parents not even in the country, let alone state. Many students, faculty, and parents are left wondering. Why would Embry-Riddle implement their evacuation plan a mere six hours before a major hurricane? Why is no one being held accountable for this irresponsible and senseless decision? Why was a plan for evacuating the fleet implemented before one was executed for the students? Embry-Riddle has these and a lot more questions to answer in the coming months. The school uses the motto, “Students First,” but, in this instance, actions speak louder than words.
K’Andrew France Beckford/The Avion Newspaper
K’Andrew France-Beckford/The Avion Newspaper Hurricane damage near the corner of South Clyde Morris Blvd. and Richard Petty Blvd.
ordered everyone on the coast to evacuate because “this storm will kill you.” Many students did not have evacuation plans due to the school reassuring them, more than three times, that the dorms would not be evacuated. It came as no surprise when many students were forced to pack a go-bag and go to either Mainland High School, another shelter, go to the west coast of Florida, or flee the state entirely. This was all to be done in a five-hour window. Parents that had just dropped off their child for freshman year of college, not two months ago, were now worried about their child’s well-being as Mat-
A downed tree by the Student Village was just one of many instances of damage caused by Hurricane Matthew.
Response from Campus Safety Jeannise Johnson Campus Safety The Embry-Riddle Emergency Operations Team (EOT), made up of administration and a cross-section of qualified faculty and staff, is charged with managing campus emergencies to include severe weather conditions. Student safety is of paramount importance in all of the EOT’s decisions. Severe weather monitoring is a very active process because in monitoring tropical storms, potential hurricanes or hurricanes, their forecast development and track is subject to many dynamic variables. The university advises everyone to have a personal hurricane plan and we provide regular updates when conditions affect our area. Hurricane forecasts and strike probability zones become more accurate as we get clos-
er to the storm affecting a given area. Monday, October 3, we were looking at a forecast that kept the storm well off the east coast of Florida and impacts to Daytona Beach were expected to be minimal. Tuesday, the forecast track began to shift to the west, closer to the coast with stronger tropical storm force winds being predicted for Daytona Beach. Because of this migration, the EOT made a safety decision on Tuesday, October 4th to close the campus on Thursday afternoon. Consideration was also given at this time to keep the residence halls open as the structures are able to withstand these conditions. The EOT also understands a significant number of our students encounter challenges
when finding alternate accommodations. Wednesday morning analysis indicated further migration toward the east coastline. Accordingly, the EOT decided to close the campus all day Thursday. During this timeframe, consideration was also being given to securing and protecting our fleet. Decisions for evacuation of the fleet have to be done well in advance (about 1-2 days) before campus evacuation decisions for several reasons. One reason is the logistical complexity regarding where the fleet will go and where the transporting pilots will lodge. Also, pilots must have 8-12 hours of rest prior to evacuation. For optimal safety, planes must depart before outer bands of the storm approach the flight path. Of major significant consideration, the fleet must evacuate before the
ATC system becomes saturated (IFR Clearances). Our aircraft are sensitive to high winds and should be hangered if the winds are projected to be tropical storm strength. Assuming that we had enough hangar space, not all of the available hangers are rated at a strong hurricane wind
speed. In particular, the doors of a hangar are subject to failure. With most of the hangar space that we procured having doors that were facing north (the prominent wind as this storm passed) we determined that there would be a higher probability of door failure.
Because we have to make our decision about the fleet so early, we are a bit more risk adverse when we are analyzing the models. Once the probability of hurricane force winds in our area went up past 30% the decision to evacuate the fleet was made.
A5 Student Life Vincent Van Gogh: An Artist’s Story Told Through Letters
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Keenan Thungtrakul Senior Reporter On the not-so-starry night of Oct. 18, about 300 people including Embry-Riddle faculty, students, staff, and members of the public attended an intimate oneman play about the life of Vincent van Gogh in the IC Auditorium. Written by playwright Leonard Nemoy and coordinated by the traveling theater company Starry Night Theater, the play gives a personal chronology of Van Gogh’s short life. A struggling post-impressionist artist, Van Gogh suffered from mental illness in the last years of his life. Those years saw his decline in sociability and an increase in his productivity. It is said that Van Gogh would produce up to two complete oil on canvas paintings during the time he was confined in an insane asylum. He never thought about selling his work since he was afraid of the potential public reaction that would follow the sale of his art. That realization came true when his brother Theo attempted to sell one of his paintings.
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It sold for 400 francs (French currency at the time) and received mostly negative critical reviews. The critics were able to determine Van Gogh’s state of mind from the quality of the painting, which shocked Theo and contributed to the further decline of the artist’s mental health. This heart-wrenching story of the life of Van Gogh is told through the strong yet emotional voice of solo actor James Briggs. It consists of a series of first-person narratives where Briggs would either tell the audience what Vincent would have been thinking in his mind or read from translated versions of his letters to Theo. He moved around the stage, voicing Vincent’s thoughts in a way that dramatized his struggles yet made them relatable to the audience. He spoke with varying tones, conveying Vincent’s emotions in a way that spurred imaginations and reactions on how it would have felt to be in his situation. The letters were spoken like they were addressed to us, like we were Theo, reading what Vincent was telling him.
The parts of Vincent’s life that hit home were his desire to evangelize to the poor on the streets, his tragic love affair, and ultimately his failing mental health. Vincent was a big introvert; he was not very social. When he joined the local Christian church, he developed a desire to spread the Gospel of Christ. Briggs would quote passages from the King James Bible when telling about the strong zeal Vincent showed for the Lord. He would humble himself to the point of working among the low class in filthy coal mines during the cold of winter. It was here that Vincent began to draw still-life pictures of the commoners laboring in the cold. These pictures were the start of his “career” in art. Vincent thought that if he had a love interest, his chance at succeeding as an artist would increase. “I feel there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people,” he said. Most of his early works were of life on the streets. Love found him when he spied a common woman, but she did not return his love. Briggs told Vincent’s trag-
ic love story in an intimate show of emotions, narrating with words of affliction, sadness, and heartbreak. An accompanying video further expressed Vincent’s sorrow for the woman he had was interested in. The evangelist that he was, he did what he could to “save” her by marrying her, but it was no use. He fell into despair, and the woman further distanced herself from him. Seeing that he was going nowhere, he left her and felt guilty about it. That feeling resonated in the audience’s mind as Briggs voiced Vincent’s parting words for the lowly lady. The failed search for love drove Vincent into depression. He started binge drinking and isolating himself but continued to paint. He would paint portraits and depict landscapes, people working in the fields, plus other day-to-day scenes. His work defied the art traditions of the time, and he feared negative reception of them if he were to sell them. Worse, his mental condition continued to deteriorate, and he was sent to a mental hospital for the remainder of his
Keenan Thungtrakul/The Avion Newspaper
Solo actor James Briggs demonstrates the struggle of Van Gogh as he pretends to paint on an imaginary canvas during his one-man performance.
years. Psychiatrists disagree on Vincent’s true condition. Some say he had bipolar disorder, and others say he was epileptic. Either way, it was worsened by his alcoholism, history of malnutrition, and “workaholism.” Nonetheless, he continued to paint. Most of his works come from the latter parts of his life, and Briggs vividly illustrated Vincent’s final years through narrating letters and accompanying visuals. Vincent eventually attempted suicide with a revolver. The wound was left to get infected, and
when Theo saw Vincent’s final moments, Briggs displayed his emotions in a way that the audience would come to grasp the magnitude of his grief. What Theo thought would be a beginning for his brother backfired and brought about his death. When the show ended, Briggs received a standing ovation from the audience for his performance. The legacies of Vincent van Gogh and his brother Theo live on in the art museums and traveling theater troupes such as this one.
Astronomy Open House: NASA’s Juno Mission Michael Weinhoffer Staff Reporter On the evening of Oct. 28, as part of the astronomy open house, a public astronomy lecture was held in the Gale Lemerand Auditorium. The lecturer was Dr. Ronald Oliversen, associate chief of the Planetary Magnetospheres Laboratory of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and an extremely accomplished and published researcher. The lecture discussed NASA’s Juno mission, which arrived at Jupiter this July and will begin its science phase in December to discover the mysteries of the biggest planet in the solar system. Jupiter is the largest and most hostile planet in the solar system, with dangerous radiation belts and magnetic fields, and a very strong gravitational pull. Jupiter is made from the earliest debris in the solar system. In fact, Dr. Oliversen said that over 70% of the original mass created when the solar system was born has formed into Jupiter. Jupiter’s strong gravitational pull has made it a very chaotic planet with little structure and a lot of dangerous activity. It is thought to be the first planet formed in the
solar system, which makes it the best location to look for answers about the creation of us all. Astronomers have discovered many gas giants in other solar systems, but most are close to their star, instead of 483.8 million miles away, like Jupiter. This observation could make Jupiter a unique planet and has led to numerous flybys and orbits from spacecraft such as Galileo, Cassini-Huygens, and New Horizons. Juno will not be studying the 67 moons of Jupiter or Jupiter’s weather like Galileo, but will rather study its internal structure, atmosphere, radiation belts, magnetosphere, and gravitational pull. Juno is the most advanced orbiting spacecraft sent to any planet, and it will allow us to explore Jupiter like never before. Juno has a very particular mission and physical design, so both need to be explored. Juno was launched on Aug. 5, 2011, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and entered Jupiter’s orbit on July 4, 2016. The spacecraft holds eight instruments and a camera on the main bus, plus three massive solar panels. Unlike missions like New Horizons, which generates power from a mini-nu-
clear plant onboard, Juno is completely solar powered, even though it is 483.8 million miles away from the sun! It is the farthest solar-powered object from Earth, but it only generates about 480 watts of power with three thirty-foot long solar panels. That is less power than a conventional microwave, so the instruments have been built to be both extremely efficient and economical while maintaining their mission function. The satellite bus was built by Lockheed Martin, and Dr. Oliversen complimented the beautiful design of the spacecraft. The various instruments were assembled around the United States, including a magnetometer, camera, microwave radiometer, particle detectors, and more. Dr. Oliversen worked directly with the large magnetometer, which he explained as a sort of compass that can help analyze the magnetic fields of Jupiter. Juno approached Jupiter at a speed of 165,000 miles per hour, breaking the speed record of any humanmade object in history. It was inserted into an elliptical orbit with a polar inclination, which means that it will be orbiting vertically around
Jupiter instead of horizontally, with an irregular orbital shape. This fairly uncommon orbit will allow the spacecraft to orbit the north and south poles of Jupiter, which have never before been explored. The design and insertion speed of the spacecraft makes its mission, to study Jupiter like never before possible. Juno, developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has only until Feb. 2018 to explore Jupiter. This is due to the dangers posing the spacecraft while it is orbiting, and the team does not want spacecraft debris floating around Jupiter. Instead, the spacecraft will deorbit and plummet into the cloudy atmosphere of Jupiter, and we can only guess what will happen next since it has not been proven that Jupiter has a true surface. Until its demise, Juno has a full schedule. The objectives include looking for the location of water molecules in the atmosphere, detecting the strength of Jupiter’s gravity using antennas and Doppler shift technology, examining the auroras at the north pole, and mapping the planet’s magnetic field. All of this is planned to be done using small instruments with incredible preci-
sion and detail. The magnetosphere and the auroras are of particular interest because the magnetic field is so large that it can stretch to Saturn, 404.4 million miles away, and auroras have never been seen on another planet besides Earth. With the spacecraft fully functional, the beginning of proper science work is not far away. Juno was in “sleep mode” for five years while it was traveling, meaning that only critical mission systems were running, and it needs time to wake up from its nap. The camera has been operational as of late, and the spacecraft made a close approach to Jupiter on Aug. 26. On the NASA Juno website, you will soon be able to vote on locations where you would like the camera pointed on Jupiter! Initial observations indicate that the north and south poles have less structure than the other regions of the planet, but the south pole curiously has more structure than the north, as well as vortex-like winds. Juno has made a few orbital corrections to prepare for the official science phase of the mission, but a planned orbital correction on Oct. 19 did not occur. While preparing the thrusters for the adjustment,
engineers at JPL noticed that the fuel valves were not as responsive as expected, so the team decided to abort the correction. Proper fuel valve responsiveness is needed to ensure an adequate fuel mixture. A suspicious mixture could cause the spacecraft to explode, so the team made the right choice. The spacecraft “restarted” due to the error, and put itself in a “safe mode” while it waited for further instructions. The valve issue was resolved, and the spacecraft performed the maneuver on Oct. 26. It is now preparing for another close flyby on Dec. 11, and will have the full functionality of all of its instruments. One hiccup will not stop this mission! Dr. Oliversen noted that the name of the spacecraft comes from Roman mythology. Jupiter, the king of gods, was cheating on his wife, Juno. Unlike other gods, Juno was able to see through the veil that Jupiter had set up, and saw that he was cheating on her. In the same way, this spacecraft will be looking through the clouds of the planet Jupiter. Dr. Oliversen was an excellent lecturer, and I cannot wait for Juno to uncover the true face of Jupiter.
Halloween Eve
Billy Nguyen/The Avion Newspaper A Jedi-trained T-Rex displays his lightsaber proudly. The force-sensitive creature worked secuirty at the tail gate.
The cast of Star Wars: A New Hope made a suprise appearence at Tri-Sigma’s Hallowee
Andy Bronshteyn/The Avion Newspaper The Avion crew was on site in full force, providing comedic relief and wholesome entertainment.
Billy Nguyen/The Avion Newspaper Members of WIKD were recording music for their much anticipated “mixtape” which “drops” later this year.
Andy Bronshteyn/The Avion Newspaper Activities at the tail gate included “spooky soda ring toss”, a costume contest, and free food.
Keenan Thungtrakul /The Avion Newspaper Flo from Progressive attempts to sell the audience car insurance with the help of the SGA’s Treasurer.
Andy Bronshteyn/The Avion Newspaper People enjoying the atmosphere of the tail gate. We don’t know why she is yelling.
ents on Campus
Billy Nguyen/The Avion Newspaper The tail gate was enjoyed by all who attended. Some Ph.D grad students are seen here approving of the festivities.
Keenan Thungtrakul /The Avion Newspaper
en show. This show was Tri-Sigma’s sixth annual show which raised money for charity.
Andy Bronshteyn/The Avion Newspaper Embry-Riddle’s pepband performed a varity of songs during the tail gate.
Keenan Thungtrakul /The Avion Newspaper Members of Embry-Riddle’s men’s baseball team attended the Halloween show as themselves.
Zach Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper A fairy poses with a stormtrooper prior to the costume contest.
Billy Nguyen/The Avion Newspaper In addition to Embry-Riddle’s pepband, Flight Level also provided music during the tail gate.
Zach Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper No farmer, candy corn is not vegan friendly. Also, the number of candy in the jar was 188.
01 Opinion The Pain of the Truth: How a Transgender Woman Opened My Eyes Page
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Think for a moment: how would you feel if you suddenly lost your own children to a ridiculous court order? How will you cope with the fact that the order came against clear evidence to the contrary? How will you react if you found out that the judge made the ruling not based on facts but based on who you are? The most probable answer would be shock, anger, and sheer disappointment. Welcome to the world of transgender civil rights. This realm will expose you to unfair decisions rooted in tradition, not necessarily in facts. Things that you think aren't existent anymore do exist, and yet few people know of this. It's a tried and true tale: any drastic change in society will result in hesitation before it is accepted. This hesitation hurts the mind, and no one has shown this hurt better than Ms. Jessica Lynn. For her, there was
no eventual acceptance, only denial. A denial that comes not from concrete evidence pointing to it, but political beliefs. She had everything to prove she was capable of caring for her kids, but the judge did not even allow the evidence in the court, despite the fact the court was the one who ordered that evaluations be conducted to determine her capacity to properly raise her children. Aren't we past that point now where discrimination is not allowed? Apparently not. What African Americans did in the 1960s was only the first step. Now, it's the LGBT community's turn to create their own civil rights movement. Ms. Lynn has been fighting all her life, and now she gets to tell college students all over the country her story. On October 26 and 27, she got the chance to tell Embry-Riddle students about her journey to where she is now, helping spread awareness and promote actions that she hopes will snowball into
societal change. Lynn's story was told openly, honestly, and truthfully. It was incredibly hard to accept; I had to think hard about what she said and how it would feel if I were in her shoes. The story drove me close to heartbreak. The aftermath of that court order was really hard to grasp: she was stabbed hard in the back, not once but twice. I can't come to fathom the magnitude of the sorrow Ms. Lynn must have felt, but that is what comes with the truth: a truth that will take years, even decades to alter. Worse, history has already been made, and she was on the wrong end of it. Lynn's life and the lives of others in the LGBT community are part of an ongoing psychological debate on nature vs. nurture. What causes the desire to want to change genders? Is it because of the person's genetics (nature) or how that person was raised (nurture)? Lynn's story provided insight into the complexity of the issue, showing that even she did not under-
stand why she felt the way she did back then. To think about it, even I would not understand. Lynn was born as Jeffery Butterworth, but at about 4 years of age, something about him did not feel right. He kept wanting to become a girl. When he got together with friends he would play girl games like tea party or dress-up. It wasn't normal, and he knew that. He even prayed hard for whatever higher power is out there to either turn him into a girl or take away the urge to want to be one. After trying unsuccessfully to curb his desire, he turned to various coping mechanisms. The argument that how a person is raised will affect his or her decisions when older may make sense here, but later on that argument will start to slip. At 8 years old, Butterworth picked up art, and by the time he was 11, he produced paintings that rivaled those of professional artists. A commoner glancing at these pieces would have a hard time believing that an 11 year-old painted
them. They were that good. However, Lynn said not to get her wrong. Although her art pieces rivaled the pros, it was only a coping mechanism used to curb her urge to become a girl. Each painting represented a fantasy, and Lynn would get lost in its realm as a way to cope with her feelings back then. For me, I find art a nice form
of stress relief, but what Lynn's doing isn't natural. Later on in her youth, Lynn was introduced to soccer. It became an obsession quickly, as the young Jeffery would practice hard, getting better at the sport while grounding his feminine desires. He went on to play for his school's soccer team, receiving numerous soc-
-cer scholarship offers from colleges, even an invitation to try out for the Olympic soccer team. Jeffery became a young star, but deep inside he still doesn't feel right. Lynn reminds us that she used soccer as a coping mechanism, not as a future path. Imagine training for countless hours at a sport to curb feelings. Yes; you will get better at the sport, but that isn't the goal. Another warning sign about the young Jeffery’s predicament came with his first “wet dream”. He did not have the normal kind of dream, instead he dreamed of being the girlfriend of one of his best friends who was also his teammate. It drove him nuts; he had no idea why he dreamed it. Think about it. You’re 13 or 14, and wake up after a crazy dream, feeling bewildered. You realize that you dreamed about being
a person of the opposite sex. How will you react? My reaction would be to investigate why I had the dream, leading to a confession to my parents. Butterworth’s reaction started a downward spiral of alcoholism and tragic loss that would end with a confession not to, but from his parents. They knew all along about his desire to be a girl but were hesitant about it. This frustrated him, especially after he had to deal with the loss of his fiancé to a horrific car accident involving DUI. He thought that marrying and starting a family would ease his pain, but it only worsened. The spiral continued down until he hit rock bottom. It was then that his parents opened up to him about his inner desire. Upon seeing his parents accept the fact that their son wanted to be a woman, he went completely
sober and began taking steps to rebuild his life. As he built up funds for gender reassignment surgery, he found love again. However, this encounter will lead to arguably the biggest knockdown that Butterworth will face. At first, life seemed to be well for the Butterworth and his new girlfriend, until an unwanted pregnancy arises. The two prepare for a new life together, and along come two more children. His wife accepted him for who he is, which is good news for now. By this point, Butterworth was living a good life, and was a great example of a loving father. However, his relationship with his wife was strained because of his plans to transition, and she eventually divorced him, only to get back with him later. She went back to school, and he worked hard hours for his kids. What spurred the couple’s reunion was another bad car accident after a judge gave Butterworth full custody of the three children. His ex-wife finally gave in and decided to help him with the transition. Despite costing him his home, Butterworth never felt happier in his new body. She was no longer Jeffery Butterworth; she is now Jessica Lynn. Her two oldest sons lend their 100% support to Keenan Thungtrakul/The Avion Newspaper his transition and Ms. Lynn’s speech has been given to multiple universities around the United States. She adjustment after the fought against discrimination in the judicial areas of the American Government. surgeries are com-
pleted. Lynn thought she had it together, but she was hit in the rear with a lawsuit from her ex-wife. Their youngest son has yet to learn of his father’s transition, and this lawsuit is the start of a series of court battles that will turn Lynn’s life upside down. Just imagine: you have become the person you want to be, and now your former spouse is slamming you with a lawsuit of all things. What will you do now? For Ms. Lynn, the only option was to fight. Hiring an attorney, she begins the battle for her children. She endured a psychiatric evaluation and wave after wave of bills until finally the evidence she needs comes in. The evaluation found that she is the better parent for the kids. A Huffington Post article about Lynn’s struggle noted that there were also collateral sources that confirmed the evaluation’s truthfulness. Despite this affirmation, the court had another weapon that would prove fatal to Lynn’s effort: political beliefs. She was going against one of the most conservative courts in the US. Worse, his ex-wife turned on him while on the stand. The verdict came as a crushing blow to Lynn’s effort. Not only will she not be able to tell her kids the truth, she will face jail time if the truth is told. She tries to mount a second offensive, but it leads to sheer defeat: Lynn loses custody of her three kids and all means of contacting them. The decisive blow comes with the second part of the verdict. The name of the father on her youngest son’s birth certificate is to be erased clean off.
This is the first time in American history that such an order has been issued. Imagine that. You were on the wrong side of a historic moment. Come Christmas Eve of that year, you get stabbed in the back by the one you used to love with a letter containing another copy of the court order. “It was another way of saying ‘f*** you’.” Lynn said. What will be your response to it? Her eye-opening story does not stop there. After being knocked down twice for who she is, she gets herself back up and begins to make her case known to the public. The federal government picks up the case and finds the evidence to be unsubstantiated. The court “grossly” discriminated against her for being transgender as opposed to using the evidence asked for originally to make the verdict. By the time she got the resources to make an appeal, it was too late. History has been written. Imagine realizing that there is nothing you can do to reverse your situation. Will you give up or press on to make sure a case like this does not happen again? Lynn’s choice was to press on. She will do everything in her power to make herself known and heard. I’ll be honest, I would have done the same thing. According to the HuffPost article, upon receiving a dose of encouragement from a transgender attorney, Lynn took up public speaking so she can go out and make a difference. Her determination led her to become one of the most in-demand guest speakers at colleges throughout the coun-
try. She challenged the colleges who hosted her to write reviews of her speech, and every one showed some degree of positivity about the talk. If a review were to be written about the talk she gave at Embry-Riddle, I’m sure it will be equally positive. She’s received an invitation to Harvard University and the University of Cambridge in England, so her academic tour is about to take another large step. The story of Lynn’s struggle opened my eyes to a heartbreaking truth. Discrimination still exists in the justice system, and with the birth of the LGBT movement, people identifying with the community continue to press for change. I’ve heard tidbits of this movement from major news sources, but to hear one person’s story about the struggle to adapt to life as a trans person flung wide open the doors that conservatives try to keep closed. Never before have I felt such hurt for someone like Ms. Lynn. She presented her story in a way that made it relatable to everyone in the audience. For me, I grew up in a traditional society, unaware of these kinds of struggles. Hearing what she had to say gave me new light and a new sense of awareness. She left me with some tips to help any LGBT friends I may have down the road: (1) be there for my friend in times of need, (2) provide continual emotional support, and (3) be willing to listen. It is often that strong support foundation that gets a person struggling with lifestyle choices through the battles that he or she has to face.
Keenan Thungtrakul/The Avion Newspaper Jessica Lynn gives her emotional and well received story to Embry-Riddle students in the College of Aviation Atrium on the 28th of October.
Zachary Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper
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Upcoming Games: Tuesday
Wednesday No Games
Thursday No Games
Friday Men’s Soccer vs Spring Hil Daytona Beach, FLA @ 6:30 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs Nova SE Fort Lauderdale, FLA @7 p.m.
Saturday Women’s Volleyball vs Palm Beach West Palm Beach, FLA @4 p.m. Men’s Soccer vs Emmanuel College Daytona Beach, FLA @ 6.30 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs Warner Daytona Beach, FLA @ 7 p.m.
Sunday No Games
Monday No Games
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Women’s Soccer Loses 3-1 to Florida Tech
Alison Smalling ERAU Athletics
Womens Soccer vs Westminister Salt Lake City, Utah @3p.m. Men’s Golf @ McDonough Cup Orlando, FLA
November
The Embry-Riddle women's soccer team struck first, but were unable to sustain the lead, falling 3-1 to Florida Tech (11-5) in the Eagles' last home game of the season on Saturday. Now 8-4-2 on the year, the Eagles will wrap up the 2016 campaign on Tuesday when they travel to Salt Lake City to face Westminster. Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m. (MDT). Florida Tech had the better of the possession to start the game, but it was the Eagles who struck first. With just under 90 seconds left in the first half, Gudrun Johnson collected the ball in the Florida Tech half of the field and dribbled 50 yards down field before launching a cross into the box. An FIT defender managed to get a touch on the ball, but was unable to clear it and it fell to Elvira Ramel who tapped in her third goal of the year to put the Eagles up 1-0 at the half. The Panthers outshot the Eagles 7-4 in the first half and finally managed to convert their eighth attempt in the 51st minute, when Ciera Misner's free kick went off the head of Kellie Krygler to Elin Svensson who headed home the equalizer. That first goal sparked
the FIT offense, which bested ERAU 8-3 in shots and 3-1 in corner kicks in the second half, and goals by Misner in the 56th minute and Kristin Howe in the 84th minute sealed the Panther win.
vs Florida Tech: 3
ERAU: 1
Zach Fedewa/ The Avion Newspaper
Women’s Golf Finishes 13th at Flagler Fall Slam Michael Pierce ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle women's golf closed out the fall portion of the 2016-17 season with a 13th-place showing at the Flagler Fall Slam at the Marsh Creek Country Club in Saint Augustine. The Blue and Gold shot 319 on Tuesday, a five-stroke improvement over Monday's 324, to post a 36-hole total score of 643. Megan Pollenz led the way again with a 74, which is her collegiate-best 18-hole score, for a tworound total of 153. Her performance on Tuesday vaulted her 16 spots up the
individual leaderboard into a tie for 16th place. Lauren Thielenshot a 79 to finish with a 160 (81-79), while Marlena Weatherly was two strokes back with an 81 for a total of 162 (81-81). Camila Sierra showed a 10-stroke improvement with an 85 to card a 36-hole score of 180 (95-85). Kelly Harrisshot an 86 on Tuesday but due to a scorecard error she was disqualified. Playing as individuals, Natalie Brooks shot an 83 for a total of 165 (82-83) and Abbey Trinca recorded an 91 for a total score of 180 (89-91). "Solid tournament from
our Eagles," Head Coach Maria Lopez said. "This was an extremely challenging course and I'm very proud of our young players for the work they put in, and it showed on the scorecard. We improved on last year's scores by 13 strokes. We gained a lot of maturity and perseverance this week. We're on the right track and I am so excited for the spring season!" Barry won the tournament with a 286 on Tuesday to finish 17 strokes ahead of Flagler with a 587 (301-286). The Saints shot a 303 on Tuesday for a total of 604 (301-303) followed
by Seminole State (303302=605) in third place. Barry's Tilda Larsson won the individual tournament with a 144 (7470), followed by Tusculum's Ciara Rattana (7075=145) and Flagler's Lara Ardler (72-74=146). The Eagles will kick off the spring portion of the season with some players participating in The South Atlantic Women's Amateur Championship, also known as the SALLY, on January 11. The full team will play its first tournament right back in Saint Augustine at the Flagler Invitational, which begins Feb. 5.
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ERAU Men’s Soccer Unable to Solve Panthers in 4-0 Loss
Emily Ferguson ERAU Athletics
The Embry-Riddle men’s soccer team suffered a 4-0 loss to Florida Tech on Friday night. The Panthers boost their record to 11-3-1 while the Eagles drop to 2-8-3. Richard Dearle played in net for the Blue and Gold recording six saves. FIT outshot ERAU 14-3 in the first half but the Eagles got off seven shots in the
second half compared to the Panthers’ five. From the kickoff, Florida Tech grabbed a hold of the lead with a header in the first minute. Embry-Riddle worked to gain a scoring opportunity, which came about in the 19th minute after a blocked shot from Knutur Bjornsson was controlled by an FIT defender but quickly stolen by Felix Moller whose shot deflected off the crossbar.
The Eagles got another chance shortly after when Bjornsson broke away in a promising charge towards the net but was halted when FIT goalkeeper Christian Moerch managed to get his hands on the ball before Bjornsson was able to take the shot. The Panthers took off after the 28th minute building their lead with three additional goals before the half came to an end.
The second goal of the night came off a header in the 28th minute, followed by a goal off of a cross in the 30th minute and finally another header in the 35th minute. The Panthers held a comfortable four-goal lead at the half. The Blue and Gold regrouped during halftime and came out with a tighter defense in the second half, keeping the ball out of the net for the remainder of the game. The Eagles limited
Florida Tech: 4
Embry-Riddle: 0
the Panthers to five shots but were unable to convert on any of their seven shots in the half. It was a physical game with eight total yellow cards handed out
and 24 fouls committed between both teams. Embry-Riddle will take a single day to rest before they travel to Winter Park on Sunday to face Rollins at 1 p.m.
improve to 17-6. Amanda Saunders led the offense, accounting for 16 of ERAU’s 27 kills. Jordan Nakayama led the team in assists (13) and digs (11) while Laina Blanton had a team-high three blocks. The Spartans got off to a fast start in set one, quickly opening up a 13-3 lead. The
Eagles tried to chip away at the deficit, but the closest ERAU got was six points (21-15) as UT ran away with set one, 25-17. In set two, Tampa again jumped out early, this time taking a 6-1 lead. But the Blue and Gold rebounded this time, going on a 6-0 run to take a 7-6 lead, its first of the afternoon. The Eagles again briefly held a lead at 12-11, but UT answered back with a 6-0 run of their own to take a 17-12 lead, which they did not surrender. The Spartans went on to win the set 25-16, taking a 2-0 lead in the match. The Eagles took a shortlived 3-1 lead in set three,
but Tampa was able to pull ahead, eventually leading 14-9 midway through the frame. ERAU fought back to within two (17-15), only to see UT double the lead to four (19-15) over the next two rallies. The Blue and
Gold showed some resiliency as a Saunders kill sparked a 5-1 run that pulled the Eagles even with the Spartans at 20-20. Tampa was able to regroup and score points on five of the final six rallies of the match,
winning the third frame 25-21, and the match, 3-0. The Eagles hit the road next weekend for away matches at Nova Southeastern on Friday, Nov. 4, and at No. 12 Palm Beach Atlantic on Saturday, Nov. 5.
vs
ERAU Eagles Volleyball Swept by League No. 23 Tampa Spartans
Michael Pierce ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle volleyball team dropped its fourth consecutive contest on Saturday, falling in three sets (25-17, 25-16, 25-21) to 23rd-ranked Tampa. The Eagles now sit at .500 on the year with an 11-11 mark while the Spartans
vs Tampa: 3
Embry-Riddle: 1
Zach Fedewa/The Avion Newspaper Alyssa Rudd serves ball at Saturday night’s game against the opposing team, the University of Tampa’s Spartans.
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