Avion Issue 7 Fall 2017 by The Avion

A Brief History of Halloween

At some point in time, we have all asked ourselves why it is custom for little kids to wander around on the last day of October dressed in costumes and why we allow them to beg for candy from people they do not know. It sounds ridiculous to people who have never heard of it before, and it is honestly very costly. Costumes can cost around $40 or more, and the price of candy escalates on the market every October. So where did this outrageous holiday come from? The festival of Samhain is where Halloween finds its origins. The Celtics feared ghosts in their historic culture, so they figured that dressing up in scary costumes would keep evil spirits away. Later a European pope would create All

Saints Day on the 1st of November, and the traditions used for the festival of Samhain transitioned to the night before this holiday as a "cleansing" of bad spirits. The ceremony, over time, was dubbed as Hollows Eve, or as it was shortened to: Halloween.

“The ceremony,

over time, was dubbed as Hollows Eve, or as it was shortened to: Halloween.

“

Abigail Johnson Correspondent

As far as the candy is concerned, there are numerous stories as

to why "trick or treating" came into being in modern culture. Celtics used it as a peace offering of sorts. The Celtics would leave out presents and treats near where they rested to distract the ghosts away from them, hoping the spirits would find favor and leave them alone. The Celtics would also carve different objects and put lanterns in them to scare off the spirits who did not find their offerings appealing, a tradition that was inspired by the tale of a cursed man named Jack who scared away ghosts with the light of his mighty lantern. The Irish have a different story that describes the collecting of food and supplies for the Halloween festival every year to feed the people. They would go from door to door asking for donations from people with the means to provide.

Student Gov. Town Hall: Your Questions Answered Keenan Thungtrakul Senior Reporter

What’s Inside

On Thursday night, students had the chance to have their questions heard in a live Q&A session with members of the upper division of Embry-Riddle's administration and the SGA. Students wrote out questions on note cards and submitted them to be read by the SGA President, Dustin Gibson, and addressed in real time. Some hot topics discussed that night included the stray cats on campus, the all-too-familiar problem of parking on campus, and

plans for the old UC once the new Student Union is completed. Representatives from the SGA, Sodexo, the Dean of Students, Student Engagement and Student Union, and administration came to help students voice their concerns and hear their plans to address them. Ever wandered around campus and found yourself looking at a cat? Well, there are a number of stray cats living on campus, and they continue to multiply as they breed. Students, faculty, and staff often feed the cats, and a local animal control center regu-

Tri-Sigma Fashion Show

larly catches these cats to neuter them before re-releasing them. A committee has been created and has partnered with a local humane society to further address the issue of these felines on campus. We all know what it is like when you cannot find parking at our favorite parks, shopping malls or attractions. Well, this problem is not new for Embry-Riddle. Almost everyone, both students and staff, has voiced multiple complaints about the lack of efficient, much less sufficient, parking on campus. Continued on A3 >>

Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper A panel of representatioves from the university and Sodexo helped to answer the student bodies many questions

Reality Check: Nazi Stealth Fighters

New Motorsports Section

C5-C8

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

Henry Neiberlien Andrew Bronshteyn Collin Anderson Sariah Adviento Vipul Telang Payton Muglia

Page Editors Front Editor Campus Editor SGA Editor I&T Editor Sports Editor Motorcross Editor Entertainment Editor

Henry Neiberlien Emily Rickel Joshua Rosado Keenan Thungtrakul Victoria Jordan Xi Wang Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh Vipul Telang Rajan Khanna Vipul Telang Korbin Martin Brandon Collins

Staff Contributors Reporters

Photographers

Mike Shekari Emily Rickel Keenan Thungtrakul Brandon Collins Rajan Khanna K’Andrew France-Beckford Joshua Rosado

Correspondents Sarah Fairchild, Justin Nauman, Abigail Johnson, Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh, Chirag Mehrotra

Staff Advisor Ginny-Beth Joiner, Avion Advisor

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

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

Website: theavion.com

Mike Shekari Staff Reporter During fall break, members of the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, otherwise known as the McNair Scholars, at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus attended a McNair Scholars undergraduate research conference hosted by Florida International University in Miami. Here they presented research they conducted over the summer to their peers at other institutions and explored graduate school opportunities. The research presentations were conducted in both oral and poster formats while being judged by experts in their respective fields: physical sciences, life sciences, and social sciences. Despite strong competition from scholars who attend other universities around the country, two of Embry-Riddle's McNair Scholars won distinctions for the presentation of their work. Naia Butler-Craig, an aerospace engineering major, won first place for a poster presentation in the physical sciences category. Butler-Craig's research involved work she did with CubeSats while serving as an intern at NASA's Glenn Research Center. Meanwhile, Caila DeAbreu, an engineering physics major, won third place for an oral presentation in the physical sciences category for work she did at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, where she created a database of magnetic material properties that were tested within the lab.

of Education does not readily release the statistics. There are many who fear that the McNair Scholars might even cease to exist in the near future due to comments made in May by the Trump administration official, Mick Mulvaney, during a White House press conference, where he stated that the McNair program was only six percent effective. However, Mulvaney could not even remember the complete name of the program he was ridiculing, describing the McNair Scholars as the "McNair Post-Baccalaureate, something, something." Mulvaney also fails to explain how the Department of Education arrived at the six percent figure, which is important considering the McNair Scholars program evaluates effectiveness based on long-term metrics. Program directors track to see if alumni of the program achieve a terminal degree within ten years. In the case of Embry-Riddle's program, not even the first cohort year can be fully evaluated at this time. Among those concerned are Dr. Ashley Lear and Paula Reed, co-directors of Embry-Riddle's McNair Scholars, and members of the Council for Opportunity in Education, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding college opportunities for low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities. Students who are currently members of the program will still be granted all the benefits and privileges of McNair Scholars, including the continued receipt of an internal university scholarship and

the ability to graduate wearing McNair Scholars honor cords. However, the answer to the question of what happens next for the program remains unclear, including the continued employment of Paula Reed at Embry-Riddle, whose position was 100 percent funded by the McNair Scholars grant. There has been a proposal submitted to Embry-Riddle's Office of the President to create an internal university program that will still serve the intended mission of the McNair Scholars program but start with incoming freshmen, unlike the current federal model that only involves students in their junior and senior years of undergraduate study. At the time of this writing, the status of the proposal is unknown. However, over the past decade that the McNair Scholars Program has been at the Daytona Beach campus, the program has seen great success. According to Dr. Lear, the program has serviced 104 students, with 100 earning bachelor's degrees, 31 their master's, two doctoral degrees, one Ed.D., and one law degree. Even students who are currently members of the McNair Scholars Program claim that it is critical to their success as undergraduates and candidates for graduate studies. One such student, Noel Mangual, an aerospace engineering major stated, "I feel like I found my career path thanks to the McNair Program because they encouraged me to do research and consequently I found my passion, which is design of flexible aircraft."

21 Schools Hosted at STEM Day Emily Rickel Staff Reporter

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.

However, the victories for Embry-Riddle's McNair Scholars are bittersweet because the conference was the last official action taken by the program as a federally funded TRIO program through the United States Department of Education. The program, named after the late physicist and NASA astronaut, Dr. Ronald E. McNair, helps prepare first generation, low income or underrepresented minority students for graduate school and pursuing terminal degrees. The program achieves this through mentorship, funded research and graduate school visitations, which is operated through a grant that must be reissued every five years to continue receiving government funding. The Daytona Beach campus of Embry-Riddle has hosted the program through two complete grant cycles, ten years; however, the Department of Education elected not to renew the university's funding for the next five-year period, which caused the program to be defunded on Oct. 1 when the 2018 fiscal year began for the federal government. Embry-Riddle was not the only university to lose funding for their McNair Scholars Program this year; many other programs nation-wide were defunded while the Department of Education scales back on McNair and other TRIO programs that service underrepresented populations in higher education. However, the exact number of programs defunded this year is unknown because the Department

Over 800 sixth grade students from 21 local middle schools flooded the ICI Center on Oct. 26 to learn more about the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). "The goal of STEM Day is to teach younger students about STEM through interactive, hands-on exhibits," said Pamela Peer, Director of K-12 Education Outreach. "Some of the exhibits are displays that showcase the expertise of different campus organizations, and some are take-home activities." Multiple campus organizations created and presented exhibits for the next generation of STEM

professionals, including EcoCAR 3, the Department of Civil Engineering, the Embry-Riddle Future Space Explorers and Developers Society (ERFSEDS), the White Hat Eagles Cybersecurity Club, the Air Traffic Control Organization, the Amateur Astronomy Club, Naval ROTC and Air Force ROTC. STEM Outreach, a campus organization that regularly organizes STEM activities for visits to local K-12 schools, had an exhibit that was popular among the sixth-grade attendees. The exhibit simulated a gravity well and demonstrated how an object in space with a large mass influences the orbits of objects with smaller masses. The students had a blast throwing marbles into the homemade gravi-

ty well and watching them orbit around a larger mass in the middle of the well. The Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology also had a popular exhibit with many interactive gadgets and models. Students were able to try on goggles that simulate red-color blindness, watch water boil in a vacuum chamber, and explore a model of the lungs. The "Kranken-macher," which can be translated to "sick-maker," was also quite a hit. A device that can be used to study motion-sickness, the Kranken-macher certainly lived up to its name. Those wearing the virtual-reality headset could feel dizzy within just a couple of minutes of being exposed to the moving ver-

tical stripes presented in the virtual environment. The Robotics Association hosted an impressive exhibit that brought out the sixth graders' competitive sides. With each controlling their own RC car, three students raced to push the most tennis balls into their goal on a triangular field. Student representatives from the Robotics Association also closed out the entire event by presenting on the functions and capabilities of robots, as well as by explaining the future of robotics. For more information about volunteering for future on and off-campus STEM events, join STEM Outreach on Connection or attend one of their general meetings on Thursdays at 6 p.m. in COB 290.

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Win Money, be Innovative

Collin Anderson News Editor Embry-Riddle will host the first annual Student Innovation Awards next spring. The Student Innovation Awards is a competition for ways to improve ERAU and its community within a budget of $5,000. Individuals or teams of up to three people are eligible to compete. An individual has the potential to win $1,000, and a team can win $2,000. The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students and

Town Hall Continued from A1 >> There is almost a game of chance just be lucky to find a spot or catch someone coming out and then following the person until a tradeoff occurs. This game gets old quick. It is frustrating, it is not fun, and it is a waste of gas. One proposed remedy is the construction of a parking garage somewhere on campus to alleviate the lack of parking. However, while a parking garage is a good long-term solution, the short-term effects must not be neglected. The area that is to eventually become a parking garage will have to be closed for the duration of construction, causing an even worse parking situation until the garage has been completed. Aesthetically, a parking garage does not look nice, unless it has a fancy design or is integrated into a building.

consists of two rounds. The first round comprises writing a proposal that is between 250 and 1000 words. In this plan, students must state a summary of why the innovation is needed, the proposed innovation, the benefits of the innovation and a brief explanation of how the $5,000 budget would be spent. The judging criteria for the written proposal will be clarity, value, feasibility, innovation and persuasiveness. The written proposal must be accompanied by

a video proposal that is less than three minutes. In the video, the student or team must introduce themselves, explain the need for the innovation, provide an innovative idea and explain what the benefits of the solution would be. The video will be judged based on clarity, creativity, persuasiveness, professionalism and ethical use of media. These submissions are due Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. For the finalists who make it to round two, a poster and live pitch ses-

Florida does not allow for underground construction because of sinkhole risk and being next to an airport limits the possibility of upward construction. Worse yet, if a parking garage were to be built, the price for decals would skyrocket, making it simply impractical at the current time. Tapping into SGA funds would mean less money going back to the students. The SGA fee collected as part of tuition goes straight back to the students in the form of entertainment, free food events, free amenities, student organizations and the all-important student projects. The idea of a parking garage is not completely off the drawing board; it is just not feasible right now. In fact, students voted to charge themselves for the construction of the Student Union. That alone took several years to accumulate sufficient funds. If the same method was

employed to fund a parking garage, it would just take too long. Alternative methods to alleviate this frustrating game have included proposals for digital signage showing the number of spots available and how many may be opening up, an app that does the same or restricting the number of vehicles on campus. Right now, everyone can have a car on campus regardless of academic standing, due to the large presence of international students that need cars to get around. While there is a committee dedicated to helping alleviate the lack of parking, there is still a lot of work to do to help students and staff find ways to remedy it. The best short-term solution? If you live close enough to campus, consider taking a bicycle, motorcycle, skateboard, or a scooter to school. Aside from all the talk about parking, students

sion will be scheduled. The individual or team will be paired with a Digital Studio tutor and a member of the Humanities and Communication Department faculty to assist them. The poster will be ranked on the grounds of first impression, readability, visual design, and professionalism. The live pitch session will be scheduled for the end of March and could best be compared to the television show “Shark Tank.” Like the video, the pitch will be no longer than three

minutes with a discussion lasting for an additional ten minutes afterward. This final hurdle’s judging criteria is persuasiveness, innovation, professionalism and responsiveness to questioning. The Task Force on Innovation and the Dean of Students’ office hope that this inaugural competition snowballs within the coming years. In addition to winning money, this competition aims to help students build confidence in proposal writing, public speaking, digital literacy

Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper The panel covered many of the different departments on campus.

praised the administration for their response to Hurricane Irma, providing students enough time to execute evacuation plans and either shelter in place at local shelters or make trips to leave the area that will feel the brute force of the storm. Issues were

addressed regarding Title IX (gender equality in education), creating additional after-hour study spaces for students, a shortage of CFIs (flight instructors) for commercial pilot trainees, dietary concerns, housing situations on campus and a wealth of other topics.

Rajan Khannan/The Avion Newspaper A student raises their hand to ask a question during the Town Hall meeting on Thursday night.

and poster presentation skills. In addition, these goals will be accomplished by having students utilize resources they would have otherwise not known existed like the writing center and Digital Studio. In today’s digital age and with Google being a finger tap away, it should be no challenge to come up with an innovative idea that can benefit Embry-Riddle. For more information, or to enter the contest, please contact Lori Mumpower at mumpowel@erau.edu.

Know that these events are for you, the students, to have your voices heard. If any concerns arise, feel free to bring them by the SGA office. Together, we are Embry-Riddle, and we strive to better ourselves as a community.

Rajan Khannan/The Avion Newspaper Students Raise their hands to collaborate at the Town Hall.

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Tri-Sigma Fashion Show: A Great Show for a Great Cause

Keenan Thungtrakul Senior Reporter

Wednesday night was a night of funny costumes for a good cause. The sisters of the Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority came together to put on their 10th annual Halloween Fashion Show for the Greek community and the general student body. The show is meant to be a fundraiser, and all funds raised as part of the show were donated to three philanthropies: March of Dimes, the Sigma Sigma Sigma Foundation and the Robbie Page Memorial Fund. All Greek Life organizations on Emb-

ry-Riddle’s campus participated in the show and represented themselves uniquely and creatively. Greek Life is about community, no matter what the stereotypes might say. It is about getting to know more people on campus and to get involved. Being a member can also lead to networking opportunities with former brothers or sisters in industry. Your fellow brothers or sisters become your best friends, your mentors, your source for empowerment and encouragement when the times get tough. It is more than a set of letters; it is about personal

growth. The fashion show aims to allow members to interact with the public and share their organization’s values with the public and the rest of the Greek community. Tri-Sigma focuses on instilling faith, hope, love, power and wisdom in its sisters with the goal of empowering them to succeed both in college and in the workforce. The associated Sigma Sigma Sigma Foundation aims to help fulfill this goal by allocating donated funds to initiatives such as college scholarships for sisters and travel stipends for leadership and

Keenan Thungtrakul/The Avion Newspaper Three girls dress up as the Three Blind Mice and stumble forward.

professional conferences. The sorority also supports giving back to those who helped them become who they are. One of the largest charities that Tri-Sigma supports is the March of Dimes. This organization supports mothers with premature babies and helps them mediate the cost of caring for the babies, particularly NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) costs. They also help hold baby showers for military mothers in the event their husbands are deployed overseas. The charity helps with expenses and provides counseling services to mothers who

Keenan Thungtrakul/The Avion Newspaper The SGA Executive Board dresses up as characters from Disney’s “Moana.

are struggling with life apart from their spouses. Along with March of Dimes, Tri-Sigma supported a third organization with their proceeds from the show: The Robbie Page Memorial Fund. Created to help cure polio, the foundation shifted to play therapy, a type of counseling where young children express their thoughts and feelings through play rather than speech. The foundation supports this therapy in hospitals, and currently runs three hospitals in America. Donations from Wednesday’s show directed to Robbie Page will go

to help support young children through play therapy and to help fund the three hospitals. Featured in this year’s show was the Mr. and Mrs. Halloween contest. Introduced last year, the contest allows Greek organizations to compete against each other to see who can be the most creative while also raising money. Competitors are judged on a point system that factors in fundraising, support petition signatures, and the final walk. There were a lot of hilarious and well-made costumes, but all in all the show was quite memorable.

K’Andrew France-Beckford/The Avion Newspaper Spider-Man comes on stage in style, showing off moves from his latest film.

K’Andrew France-Beckford/The Avion Newspaper Men dress up as superheroes from the DC Universe. Pictured are Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and Flash.

Keenan Thungtrakul/The Avion Newspaper Four people take the audience back to the 1980s with their retro-themed costumes.

Keenan Thungtrakul/The Avion Newspaper A participant leads a walk with a card based on the game “Cards Against Humanity”.

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Airshow Center Warbirds over Monroe Monroe, NC November 10-12, 2017

• Airport: EQY Performers include the Commemorative Air Force, Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, and the Military Aviation Museum. _________

Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show NAS Pensacola, FL November 10-11, 2017

•Airport: NPA Performers include the Blue Angels, GEICO Skytypers, and SHOCKWAVE & Flash Fire Jet Trucks

This Week in Aviation History

October 30, 1976

Pan Am Flight 50, operated by the 747SP named Clipper New Horizons (N533 PA), lands back in San Francisco 54 hours 7 min 12 seconds after it left, thereby setting a new speed record for a round-the-world polar flight. Over 170 passengers paid $2222 (economy) to $3333 (first class) for the privilege of flying over the North and South Poles.

October 31, 1987

British Airways accepts the airline’s first women pilots.

November 1, 1984 American Eagle Airlines began operations.

November 2, 1936

Department of Transport was established and took over control of civil aviation from the Department of National Defense.

November 3, 1926

First flight of the Boeing F2B

November 4, 1927

US Army Air Corps Capt. Hawthorne C. Gray succeeds in setting new altitude record in a silk, rubberized, and aluminum-coated balloon out of Scott Field, Illinois, reaching 42,270 feet, but dies when he fails to keep track of his time on oxygen, and exhausts his supply. The record is recognized by National Aeronautical Association, but not by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale because the dead aeronaut “was not in personal possession of his instruments.” Gray is posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his three ascents on 9 March, 4 May and 4 November.

31 Aviation Reality Check: Did the Nazis Have Stealth Fighters?

October ST

2017

Henry Neiberlien Editor-in-Chief With the recent release Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, which takes place in a world where Nazi Germany won the Second World War using advanced futuristic technology, the question of how technologically advanced the Nazis actually were has been brought back into the spotlight. One of the most famous creations to come out of the Luftwaffe in the final days of the Third Reich was designed by the Horten brothers, who, like Northrop, were extremely passionate about flying wings. The pinnacle of their design work was the Horten Ho 229, also called the Gotha Go 229, due to the fact it was manufactured by Gothaer Waggonfabrik. The 229 was the first jet-powered flying wing and was designed as a fighter/bomber. It was also a proof of concept for the Amerika Bomber, which would have been a long range bomber capable of dropping conventional and nuclear weapons on the American mainland. Thankfully the crippled Reich and the lack of

resources lead to the abandonment of the Amerika bomber project and only three flying prototypes were ever built before fall of Berlin in the spring of ‘45. After the war, Reimar Horten claimed that the Ho 229 was built using radar-absorbing materials that would shield the aircraft from British early-warning radar. The flying wing design and jet engines already shrink the radar cross-section due to the fact that there were no large propeller disks and no area where the wings met that would create a sharp radar returning angle These extraordinary claims of the Ho 229 being a stealth fighter thirty years before the United States flew the first purpose-built stealth aircraft peaked interest of many aviation experts and sparked an investigation into how stealthy the 229 actually was. Using a real Ho 229 preserved by the Smithsonian and a 1:1 scale recreation, engineers from Northrop Grumman tested the electromagnetic signature and radar return signature of the Nazi flying wing. The investigation concluded that the Horten 229 did indeed have a stealthy design, however it was extremely insignificant

Photo Courtesy: Gaijin Entertainment

compared to other aircraft of the time and the Ho 229 would have easily been seen by Allied radar. However, while the surviving 229’s don’t seem to be all that stealthy, it is important to remember that these were working prototypes and a snapshot of a frozen development program. Plans received from Horten reveal that the future versions of the aircraft would include redesigned intakes, and radar-absorbing charcoal mixed into the wood glue. It is important to remember, as well, that the Nazis were starved of the precious raw materials needed to actually build these aircraft, and, due to the worsening war situation, they simply didn’t have the time to perfect the design of the

aircraft and the engines that powered them. In conclusion, the Ho 229 was indeed a stealth fighter, but if that was actually planned or not is still up to debate. The lack of raw materials lead to parts of the plane being made of wood, as it was a cheap and a lightweight alternative to the metals, like aluminum, that they lacked. Wood is actually a good absorber of radar waves, as seen with the wood-built Royal Air Force Mosquito, but again the 229 ideally would not have wood in its final version. With the proper resources and a continuation of the war, the 229 could have been a technological marvel able to strike allied targets at night while avoiding radar detection. However,

this again is speculation as, thankfully, the Nazis never got the chance finish the Ho 229 and all prototypes were shipped to the United States for post-war testing. Long story short, did the Nazis have stealth fighters? Yes, whether or not it was designed that way or an afterthought is still up for debate. Would stealth fighters help the Nazis win the war? Absolutely not, the Nazis had much bigger problems than Allied air superiority in late 1945. However the technology the Nazis developed during the war was so advanced it jumped aircraft design two decades and even helped us land a man on the Moon. Many of these technologies remain a mystery and many are yet to be rediscovered.

Aerospike Engine Test-Ready Michael Weinhoffer Staff Reporter Everyone who is a space enthusiast has been rightfully enamored by the successes of the SpaceX reusability program, which has demonstrated its reliability over and over again. While the Falcon 9 has been a

show stopper, there are several companies who are also developing commercial launch vehicles, such as Blue Origin, Rocket Lab and ARCA Space. Since ARCA Space has been in the news recently, it seems appropriate to examine what they can bring to the commercial space market. ARCA Space Corpora-

tion was established as a Romanian space company in 1999 and is headquartered in Las Cruces, New Mexico, near SpacePort America, which is a non-federal commercial spaceport in the New Mexican desert. The company is currently developing the Haas 2CA launch vehicle, named after Con-

rad Haas, a 16th-century Romanian rocket engineer. There are two unique features of this vehicle that will make it stand out among its competitors. The first is that it is one of two proposed craft with a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) design. All of today's orbital rockets need two stages to reach orbit,

but the Haas 2CA will only need one stage. Extremely high fuel efficiency is the key to an SSTO rocket, and ARCA seems to have figured this out. ARCA believes that a unique type of rocket engine, the aerospike, will allow the Haas 2CA to reach orbit on a single stage. Continued onB3>>

Photographer Spotlights

November 5, 1981

First flight of the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II

Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper

Joshua Rosado/The Avion Newspaper

Space Blue Origin is a Game Changer October

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Chirag Mehrotra Correspondent With the recent successful test fire of the Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine, the future of private space industry looks promising. Jeff Bezos, Chief Executive Officer of Blue Origin, took to microblogging website Twitter to announce the success and was quoted as saying, “First hotfire of our BE-4 engine is a success. Huge kudos to the whole Blue Origin team for this important step!” Blue Origin has thus estab-

Aerospike Continued from B2 >> ARCA’s Executor engine for the Haas 2CA is classified as a “linear aerospike.” The engine’s unique appearance allows for optimum fuel efficiency. The vehicle will be able to reach orbit with 30% less fuel than any other orbital rocket. The engine is designed to be highly efficient at all lev-

lished its foothold in the space industry and very soon it can prove to be a fierce competition to Musk’s SpaceX and Bruno’s United Launch Alliance. The success is not only positive news for Blue Origin but also for the private space tourism industry as a whole since it could lead to cheaper, more efficient methods, and end the dependence on Russian rockets. With more and more people becoming a part of the space industry, the 21st century can be dubbed as the private

space race to see which company will be the first to send humans to space before anyone else. To remain in business with all the competition, all these companies need to provide low-cost options for customers. The lower the price gets, the larger the amount of the world population that can afford the luxury of space travel. That would lead to increased revenue which can be used for research and development to advance the technology further. If the money is divert-

ed towards research and development of newer technologies, then these companies can devise more efficient means of getting to space. This, again, would lead to fewer costs and a better experience for the customer. Likewise, sending cargo to space will significantly decrease in price thus allowing us to maintain an ever-increasing presence in space. With numerous companies making innumerable trips to space, our dependence on Russian made rockets will cease to exist.

With all the new rockets and technology at our disposal, our dependence on Russian rockets to send humans to space will drop, thus leading to more cost savings. All of this results in a never-ending circle through which we can conclude that the future of private space travel is not a fantasy but a feasible achievement that would change mankind and generations to come would feel its effects. All this is possible due to another successful test of a rocket engine.

els of flights, unlike current bell-shaped nozzles which perform best only slightly above sea level. The Executor will modify its performance based on its altitude, and maximize thrust, allowing the rocket to reach orbit in only five minutes. Since it is only a single stage, the Haas 2CA will be less expensive to launch than the Falcon 9, Vector Space Systems’ Vector-H, and Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket. If it

lives up to its promises, it could be a game changer within the industry. The great news is that the launch of this new rocket is not far away at all. The Haas 2CA is scheduled to complete its first orbital flight in 2018 from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, with commercial operations starting before the end of 2018. The company will be launching a suborbital rocket, the Demonstra-

tor 3, before the end of this year to determine the flight readiness of the aerospike engine. At the end of September, it was announced that the suborbital demonstrator is ready for ground and flight testing at SpacePort America. A successful launch should guarantee that the Haas 2CA will be launched on schedule. It is important to recognize that SpaceX will have some fierce competition

in the future, and they must be ready to meet the challenge. At Embry-Riddle, we are witnessing an unprecedented influx of space industry companies, and it is extremely exciting to have a front-row seat to the action. I cannot wait to see what contributions ARCA Space will make to the commercial space market, and we should all wish them the best of luck in their galactic endeavors.

Space Race Part Two Samantha Stirmel Staff Reporter The last manned mission to the moon was completed in 1972 by Captain Gene Cernan, the third man to walk in space. Within those 45 years, 190 people have done spacewalks from 11 different countries, and yet the footprints on the moon have stayed the same. The European Space Agency (ESA), China, Russia and the US are all working on getting back into space and shedding some more light on lunar exploration. Setting the base for a lunar station on the moon is in the works by many agencies that want to be the first one there, with the best idea. ESA is striving towards this goal and was present in early October for the International MoonBase Summit, which brought respected academia, government, and the private sector to lay the groundwork for a moon base on the lunar surface. Hawaii was the region of choice based on the similarity of the lava crusted surface to that of the moon. One of such ideas that

the ESA is working on is the potential to 3D print the moon base for a more cost-efficient way to build. They will also be sending missions accompanied by a European clock that is accurate to a trillionth of a second; it will be used by measuring the time it takes for time light pulses to return to the satellite after bouncing off the surface during landing and will be partnered with LIDAR. All the technology put together will create data that the ESA can use to better map out the lunar surface and give the agency a better idea of where to build the moon base. Russia and China are set to sign an agreement to work together conducting joint space operations which would start in 2018 and possibly resume past their set date of 2022, at the point where both countries are planning on having fully operational lunar orbiting space stations. The entire deal would cover five areas in total: lunar and deep space exploration, satellite systems, space debris research and Earth remote sensing. China’s head of

the International Cooperation Department of the China National Space Administration, during their talks back in June, said that the two agencies were in talks in the first place because China’s Chang’e missions were similar to Russia’s Luna missions. However, that is not where Russia stops its partnerships, as they have been exploring working with other countries like India, Brazil, Chile and some others, giving the potential for more countries to be brought into the fold. All of this is, of course, on top of the confirmation that Russia is working to contribute to NASA’s Deep Space Gateway project.

Back in the United States, Bigelow Aerospace and the United Launch Alliance (ULA) will be working together to develop a lunar depot that they hope will be launched into space by the end of 2022. Bigelow has been designing two B330 expandable modules that will be carried aboard ULA’s new rocket, the Vulcan 562. To give a sense of scale, one B330 is approximately one-third of the International Space Station’s (ISS) volume when fully inflated in low Earth orbit. President of Bigelow, Robert Bigelow, admits that this partnership with ULA is a “strong complement to other plans intended to eventu-

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Launch Control Center Koreasat 5A- Falcon 9

Oct. 30 @ 3:34-5:58 p.m. ET Kennedy Space Center, FL LC-39A

SkySat - Minotaur-C Oct. TBD @ 5:37p.m. ET Vandenberg AFB, CA SLC-576E

MN35-13 - Vega

Nov. 7 @ 8:42:30 p.m. ET Kourou, French Guiana ZLV

JPSS 1 - Delta II

Nov. 10 @ 4:47:03 a.m. ET Vandenberg AFB, CA SLC-2E

OA-8 - Antares

Nov. 10 @ 8:03 a.m. ET Wallops Island, VA Pad 0A

ISS Sightings October 30

7:03a.m. - Visible for five minutes, the ISS will rise from 10º above West, reaching a highest point at 19º North and will disappear 10º North.

October 31

ally put people on Mars.” The B330 that the two companies are hoping to launch is a more advanced version of the BEAM inflatable module currently attached to the ISS and is a “soft goods” inflatable habitat module providing a multilayer design. Bigelow claims this material offers better protection against things like debris and radiation than the aluminum most other spacecraft and modules are equipped with. The size of the B330 is large enough to house six astronauts and is complete with a life support system and reaction motors so that it can be completely independent.

Photo Courtesy: ESA/Foster and Partners Rendering of a potential base for a lunar station on the moon.

6:13a.m. - Visible for 2 minutes, the ISS will rise from 29º above North, reaching a highest point at 29º North-North East and will disappear 10º North-North East.

This Week in Space History October 31, 2005 Hubble Space Telescope discovers two new moons orbiting Pluto November 1, 1962 Mars 1, also known as Sputnik 23, launched. November 2, 1885 Harlow Shapley, the man who determined the correct position of the Sun in the Milky Way Galaxy, is born.

Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh/The Avion Newspaper

31 Sports Men’s Basketball is Back! October

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Upcoming Games:

Ryan Mosher ERAU Athletics

Tuesday Women’s Volleyball vs Rollins ICI Center 7:00pm Men’s Golf at McDonough Cup Winter Park, FL

Wednesday No events

Thursday Softball at Daytona State College Daytona Beach, FL @ 3:00pm Men’s & Women’s Tennis at ITA Fall National Championships Indian Wells, Calif. All Day

Friday Women’s Volleyball vs Lynn Senior Night ICI Center 7:00pm Men’s & Women’s Tennis at ITA Fall National Championships Indian Wells, Calif. All Day

Saturday Women’s Basketball vs Orlando Splash (WABA) Exhibition Game ICI Center @ 7:00pm Men’s & Women’s Cross Country at NCAA South Region Championship

Sunday Men’s Basketball at Cinncinati (Exhibition) Highland Heights, KY @ 2:00pm Men’s & Women’s Tennis at ITA Fall National Championships Indian Wells, Calif. All Day

Men’s Basketball Fifth in SSC Preseason Coaches' Poll. After a two-year transition into the NCAA II and Sunshine State Conference, the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team is finally eligible for postseason play in 2017-18 and the SSC coaches have picked the Eagles to finish fifth in the league standings. Embry-Riddle is coming off back-to-back 16-10 seasons in which the Blue and Gold went 10-10 in each year against SSC opponents. The Eagles garnered 65 total points, including one first-place vote, just two points behind Eckerd in fourth, and three behind Tampa in third. Defending regular season champion Barry received six firstplace votes and 95 total points to top the 11-team poll and are ranked No. 16 in the D2 Bulletin Preseason Poll. Following the Bucs are the Rollins Tars after an improbable postseason run last year that ended in the Elite Eight. The Tars, ranked 10th in the

D2 Bulletin poll, grabbed three first-place votes and 87 total points. Rounding out the rest of the top five are Tampa (68), Eckerd (67) and Embry-Riddle (65). ERAU's fellow league newcomer Palm Beach Atlantic is sixth with 58 points, while Lynn got the final first-place vote and 53 total points to land seventh. Florida Tech (44), Florida Southern (24), Nova Southeastern (22) and Saint Leo (22) finish up the

preseason poll. Head Coach Steve Ridder will coach his 29th season at Embry-Riddle in 2017-18, having posted a 672-251 alltime record. Ridder's .728 winning percentage ranks ninth amongst active men's college basketball coaches with at least 600 victories, and his 672 career wins rank eight-most amongst active NCAA II coaches. Ridder returns two starters from last season's team in sophomores

Shaquan McArthur and Luka Majstorovic, while senior Ognjen Miljkovic returns after a redshirt season in 2016-17. The Eagles begin the 2017-18 campaign with an exhibition game against the NCAA I No. 13 Cincinnati Bearcats in Highland Heights, Ky. on Nov. 5. ERAU's first regular season game of the year is Nov. 10 when the Eagles take on Mississippi College in the Daytona Mitsubishi/Kia Shootout.

Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh/ The Avion Newspaper Joshua Hawkins breaks away for an open dunk in the annual Blue and Gold scrimmage game.

ERAU and Flagler Draw Allison Smalling ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle and Flagler men's soccer teams had a goal in the first and second halves, respectively, but neither side could add to its tally in an additional 20 minutes of play, resulting in 1-1 tie on Wednesday. Playing their final non-conference game of the year, the Eagles moved their record to 1-7-2, while the Saints stand at 3-8-1. Flagler had much of the possession to start the contest. However, the tide quickly turned in the Eagles' favor and in the 12th minute, Christian Mather threatened the Saints'

defense with a shot through traffic following a corner kick, but his effort was thwarted by a last-second save by a Flagler defender. The Eagles continued to pressure the Flagler defense and the Saints, who were penalized 22 times in the match, resorted to fouling the Eagles in an attempt to slow the home team down. The Blue and Gold finally broke through in the 20th minute when Tim-Frederik Lange netted his second goal of the season. The play began in the back where Nelson Andres Pusquin played a long ball up to Alex O'Brien running down the left side. O'Brien's cross found Lange

in the center of the 18-yard box and the sophomore hit a half volley into the lower right corner to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Mather had another good look late in the half, but his shot whistled just high of the cross bar and the Eagles went into the break holding on to the one-goal lead. While the Eagles held a 7-4 shot advantage in the second half, it was the Saints who recorded the only goal of the frame. The equalizer came off the boot of Oscar Davidson in the 78thminute and after the Saints took two more shots that missed the mark, regulation ended with the score knotted at 1-1, sending the

game to overtime. Neither team was able to mount a significant threat in 20 minutes of extra time as five of the six shots taken sailed high or wide of the mark, ending the game in a draw. The Eagles' Richard Dearle and his Flagler counterpart Mel Broughton went the distance for their respective teams, with Dearle collecting two saves and Broughton making one stop. The Eagles will play their final home match of the season on Saturday when they host Sunshine State Conference foe Rollins in a 7 p.m. fixture at the Embry-Riddle Soccer Stadium.

Monday No events

Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh/The Avion Newspaper The Embry-Riddle Men’s Soccer Team lines-up before kick-off against Flagler College

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ERAU vs. Flagler College Hockey

Korbin Martin Correspondent

The ERAU Hockey team defeated Flagler College 9-1 at the Daytona Ice Arena on Oct. 18. It was a thrilling match to watch if you were cheering for the Eagles who dominated the entire game. The Eagles surged to a 5-0 lead before the second period was over, but Flagler College answered back with 1 point. The Eagles scored four more points making the final score 9-1. Flagler College couldn’t do anything for the rest of the game against the Eagles’ stout defense and ultimately lost by a margin of 8 points.

The Eagles’ home crowd was one of the best parts of the match. There was a great turnout and a lot of energy. The Eagles controlled the entire match, and made sure that Flagler had to play defense for the majority of the game. Their defense quickly tired, leading to the multitude of goals scored. The few times Flagler brought the puck near the Eagles’ goalie they had to make desperate shots that ultimately didn’t connect, or were easily stopped by the Eagles’ goalie. The Eagles had many shooting opportunities and made some quality shots, 9 of which made it in.

Korbin Martin/The Avion Newspaper

Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh/The Avion Newspaper

Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper

Saktiswaran Jeyaganesh/The Avion Newspaper

motorsports

Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper

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MOTORSPORTS

Upcoming Races: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series AG Metals 350 Texas Motor Speedway Nov. 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET

NASCAR XFINITY Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 Texas Motor Speedway Nov. 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500 Texas Motor Speedway Nov. 5 at 2:00 p.m. ET

Historic Sportscar Racing Classic 24 Hour Presented by IMSA Daytona International Speedway

Nov. 11 at 1:00 p.m. ET

FIA Formula 1 World Championship Brazillian Grand Prix Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace Nov. 12 at 11:00 a.m. ET

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Rolex 24 at Daytona Daytona International Speedway Jan. 27, 2018 TBD

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31 2017

Checkered Flag Waves on Some Drivers’ Championship Hopes

Rajan Khanna Staff Reporter

If you made a bracket for the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, there is no doubt that it’s ruined now. NASCAR visited Kansas Speedway for the thirty-second race of the 2017 season for the Hollywood Casino 400. Unlike the 2016 season, Kansas was the elimination race for the round of 12. The eventual race winner was Martin Truex Jr. scoring his seventh win of the season. He had over a two-second lead on second place finisher, Kurt Busch, with Ryan Blaney rounding out the top three. The real storyline rests in the drivers who did not advance into the round of 8, most notably Kyle Larson. Larson had a breakout season, scoring four wins and securing the second seed in the playoff grid. He appeared to have the momentum to

and Erik Jones. This series of events put Johnson back into contention while taking both Kenseth and Jamie McMurray out. Kenseth was also forced to retire by the new “crash clock” where teams cannot have more than six crew members over the wall. The race remained mostly uneventful except for a lead change with forty laps to go when Truex Jr. took the lead from Kyle Busch. He held on to capture his fifth straight

push him to Homestead Miami Speedway to battle for the championship. Unfortunately, he was knocked out of contention after an engine failure on the seventy-seventh lap of the race and finished thirty-ninth. Larson ended up in the ninth seed for the round of 8 and was subsequently eliminated. Hendrick Motorsports, the engine provider, took blame for the failure and was apologetic about the incident, having cost Larson the chance to become a champion. This was the first time in his career that Larson had to retire from a race due to a mechanical failure. Later in the race, Jimmie Johnson, who needed a good finish to advance, drove poorly and brought out the yellow flag twice. He was thought to be out of contention to advance into the round of 8, but “the big one” struck on lap 199 taking out many big names such as Matt Kenseth

win on one-and-a-half mile ovals. He has the first seed into the Round of 8, leading Kyle Busch by twenty-seven points. The next race will be held at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia where Jimmie Johnson is statistically the best driver with an average finish of 3.34. The defending winner of the fall Martinsville race is also Jimmie Johnson who clinched a spot in the season finale and won his seventh title.

Photo Courtesy: Kansas Speedway

Lewis Hamilton Closes on Fourth World Driver’s Championship Vipul Telang Photo Editor Lewis Hamilton clinched his ninth win of the 2017 season and his fourth consecutive win at the Circuit of The Americas on Oct. 22 as he beat Sebastian Vettel to win the 2017 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX in Austin, Texas. After a brilliant start, Vettel led the opening five laps of the race but was soon passed by Hamilton who did not relinquish the lead of the race, eventually winning by over ten seconds. Mercedes secured the Constructor’s Championship for the fourth straight year, joining only three other teams in history to win four in a row. The race was not without controversy, however.

On the last lap, Red Bull’s teenage sensation Max Verstappen passed Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen for the final podium position, but after careful review race stewards determined that Verstappen gained an unfair advantage and awarded him a five-second time penalty. The decision meant that both Ferraris finished on the podium for the first time ever in Austin. Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes finished fifth, a disappointing result by the Finn after struggling to manage his tire wear on race day. Brendon Hartley made his Formula 1 race debut with Scuderia Toro Rosso, replacing Carlos Sainz who transferred to Renault. Sainz finished an impressive seventh, just missing

sixth place by two seconds. Hartley drove an decent race, finishing thirteenth and one lap down. Red Bull senior driver Daniel Ricciardo ended his race in the garage after his Tag Heuer-branded Renault engine gave out after only fourteen laps. McLaren-Honda driver Fernando Alonso excited his fans after he announced he would be wearing his Indianapolis 500 helmet. Unfortunately, he struggled all of race weekend, completing just four laps during free practice one after an engine issue sidelined him for the rest of the session. He retired on lap twenty-four, joining Daniel Ricciardo, Pascal Wehrlein, and Nico Hulkenburg in the garage. Alonso was not classified and scored

Verizon IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Streets of St. Petersburg

March 11, 2018 TBD

Vipul Telang/The Avion Newspaper

a DNF, his seventh of the season. American team Haas F1 based in Kannapolis had a lackluster race, with Kevin Magnussen finishing last of the running cars and Romain Grosjean finishing two places better in fourteenth. Formula 1 teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in Austin as part of the Drive for the Cure. Drivers, teams, and fans were encouraged to wear pink to highlight Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Formula 1 tire manufacturer Pirelli changed the sidewall of the ultrasoft tire from purple to pink in support of the partnership. In an effort by F1 owners Liberty Media to promote the race further for fans, CoTA introduced a go-kart race track in front of the Main Grandstands for the first time in circuit history, allowing spectators to emulate their heroes. Multiple celebrities also made their appearance around the track including Olympian Usain Bolt, former President Bill Clinton, the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, and Justin Timberlake, the latter headlining the post-qualifying concert on the CoTA SuperStage in the infield near Turn 11. Stevie Wonder headlined the post-race concert on Sunday.

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Vipul Telang /The Avion Newspaper

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MOTORSPORTS

October

31 2017

OktoberFast Visits Daytona

Rajan Khanna Staff Reporter

This past weekend, the Porsche Club of America visited Daytona International Speedway for their annual “Oktoberfast” event organized by Porsche of Orlando. The event, which ran for four days, had all kinds of motorsports activities for their members, including on track racing and autocross. Although the event was organized by Porsche of Orlando, entrants were not limited to driving Porsche vehicles. Other manufacturers present included Aston Martin,

Acura, BMW, Chevrolet, and Mazda. Participants raced around the road course layout of the speedway instead of the trioval, requiring a higher level of skill to navigate the hairpin and bus stop chicane and rejoin the high banks of Daytona. While at the event, I had the opportunity to interview two drivers who competed in various races during the event. The first of the two was Darrel Bell who drove for Bell Brothers Racing. He was ushered into racing by his father, who raced similar Porsches. He and his brother took interest

in motorsports and raced from a young age, competing in similar events to the one this past weekend. He and his brother raced against each other because they loved the family competition. They found success and stayed with the sport. Darrel Bell drives the #48 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup while his brother Barry Bell drives the #149 911 GT3 Cup. Darrel noted that his favorite part of the road course layout at Daytona International Speedway was the entrance into the bus stop. He enjoyed the high speed into a technical section. I then asked

him if he had been given the opportunity to race at any track with any car, where would it be and why. He was enthusiastic toward the Circuit of The Americas because it has many high speed sections including very technical sections, like the esses and the steep elevation changes. The vehicle he would like to use is the Porsche 911 RSR due to its raw and intense feel and power. The second driver I interviewed was Cory Friedman, who races for Autometrics Motorsports. His path into racing also started within his family. He took

an interest after working for his father’s racing team. He later worked for Autometrics Motorsports and decided he wanted to become a driver instead. He drives the #90 Porsche 991 Cup in both the sprint and endurance divisions of the event. His favorite aspect of Daytona International Speedway was the high average speed throughout the lap. He noted that the road course layout is one of the fastest road courses in the country. I also asked him what his dream track and car combination would be. He chose the Circuit de la Sarthe in a Porsche

Prototype car because the circuit has one of the longest back straights in history at nearly four miles in length. The prototype cars are best known for participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is arguably the most grueling motorsport event in the world. After the interviews, I headed over to victory lane where Friedman’s teammate David Baum hoisted the trophy after winning the overall sprint division. The Avion Newspaper wishes the best for the remainder of the season for both Autometrics Motorsports and Bell Brothers Racing.

Vipul Telang/The Avion Newspaper

Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper

Image Credit: Brandon Collins/The Avion Newspaper

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October

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Beware the Binge: Netflix Releases Season 2 of Stranger Things!

Sarah Fairchild Correspondent The smash hit "Stranger Things" is back- and creepier than ever; with the rise of the prophesied Thessalhydra, the return of the mysterious Eleven, and a more in-depth exploration of the UpsideDown. Fans of the show have already over-analyzed the trailers, diagnosing every potential theory imaginable and creating incredible predictions as to what season two might entail. #Justice4Barb!

For those culture-deprived souls who have not seen the show, "Stranger Things" was created by the Duffer brothers Ross and Matt. It is primarily a combination of the science fiction, horror, and mystery genres; pulling themes and influence from Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, and a host of classic thrillers and sci-fi movies. This show has everything, from monsters and inter-dimensional paranormal forces to a secret laboratory that performed twisted exper-

iments, all with a truly authentic 1980's setting. The first season was released in July of 2016. Set in 1983, the show centers on a group of kids- Mike, Lucas, and Dustin- as they search for their friend Will who mysteriously disappeared one night. Along the way, they meet a psycho-kinetic girl named Eleven and are forced to confront a sinister group of government-funded scientists. Oh, and not to mention a grotesque creature called the Demogorgon. In season two, Will

Byers, who was trapped in the Upside-Down for most of season one, will take center stage as a new monster surfaces, and a new mystery unravels. In an interview with Parade magazine, Ross Duffer said that "We wanted to treat this like a movie sequel and up the ante in the way that our favorite movie sequels did so well." Sound good? Well, the Duffer Brothers promise that season two will be exceptional. Not only will the writing push the envelope for darker

content, but the already all-star cast of Winona Ryder, Matthew Modine, and David Harbour will expand with the addition of Paul Reiser, Sean Austin, Sadie Sink, and Dacre Montgomery. All nine episodes of

the second season will stream on Netflix beginning Friday, October 27. So grab your microwaveable popcorn and your spiked baseball bats as you settle in for a new round of thrills with "Stranger Things 2."

Image Courtesy: Netflix

Smashing into Season Eight: Celebrating 100 Episodes of AMC’s “The Walking Dead”

Sarah Fairchild Correspondent After an explosive first episode, season eight of "The Walking Dead" promises complete chaos in the days to come for Rick and his group as they battle the charismatically insane leader of the Saviors: Negan. Airing its milestone 100th episode last Sunday, Oct. 22, the writers purposefully framed certain scenes as a sort of call-back to their pilot episode where we were first introduced to the world of the walkers. This television adaptation of the famed comic book series began seven years ago this Halloween; on the 31st of October, 2010. Since its release, the apocalyptic horror show quickly rose to the apex of

Sunday night television, having been nominated for 126 awards, 69 of which they have won, including the People's Choice, Golden Globe, and a horde of Golden Reel awards. But what is it about this particular zombie-apocalypse adaptation that has infected the world, promoting it to the top slots in entertainment? The storyline is basic: You follow a specific group of survivors as they attempt to navigate through a world of undead walkers (not zombies). They run into your typical apocalyptic problems such as scavenging for supplies, determining the trustworthiness of strangers, and getting trapped in an army tank surrounded by the undead. But what exactly makes "The Walking Dead"

so successful? One main reason "The Walking Dead" is thriving in the cinematic spotlight is because of Robert Kirkman, executive producer for the show, was the one who actually created the comic series. His ability to transpose his vision from comic to cinema is a key element that few television series have. Eulyn Womble and Greg Nicotero are also essential personnel in bringing life to the sets; Womble's costumes and Nicotero's exemplary zombie makeup artistry up the ante in ways that are a rare find in cable television. To top off the secrets to success, the whole storyline, although appearing to be generic, is thoroughly planned and ingeniously adapted, with details in

every episode that ground the events in reality, allowing the viewers to connect with this fictitious world. The places feel real, as do the intense situations the characters repeatedly find themselves in, and that is what audiences love. In past seasons, we have seen the main characters go through this repeating trend of finding a so-called "safe" place before it gets overrun by walkers or attacked by other communities. We have endured the deaths of many beloved main characters and central villains in the struggle for survival. Season eight will break that trend. Appropriately titled "All Out War," this season of AMC's "The Walking Dead" will feature a united force of Alexandrians, Hilltop-

pers and Kingdommers as they bring the fight to Negan and the Saviors. This season, Rick and his group are not backing down, are not willing to sacrifice what they have built up in the past two seasons. The Saviors are larger, better equipped, and ruthless, but Rick and the unified communities fight for the promise of a better future. Battle lines are drawn as they launch into an explosive, action-packed offensive. As with any

battle, there will be losses. But with Rick, Maggie, and King Ezekiel leading their forces, Negan's reign may finally be coming to an end.

Image Courtesy: AMC

App of the Week: “Simple Planes” Justin Nauman Correspondent This week’s app of the week is “Simple Planes,” developed by Jundroo LLC. Simple Planes is a sandbox app, available on iOS, Android, and PC, that puts the power of an aerospace engineer into your pocket. The only goal in this application is to use your imagination. A variety of fuselage sections, engines, and many other parts give you the power to build anything you can think of. The game uses realistic physics and control methods to create real-

istic flight. For even more control, the app can use the gyroscopic capabilities in your phone to control pitch, yaw, and roll. With a series of updates that have been released over the past year, “Simple Planes” has expanded its area of operation to not only planes, but ground vehicles and quadcopters as well. Sadly, space is out of reach in “Simple Planes,” but as updates are continually churned out year after year, the exploration of space may soon be possible. Along with the sandbox play, there is also a series of missions the user

can play. Missions involve goals such as landing on a very short runway and avoiding SAM missiles. After beating all the flight missions, prepare to test your speed in the air races. Is flying not your thing? Try out the ground races! There is something fun for everyone to try out on “Simple Planes.” Maybe speed isn’t your thing, Find the “Jump Zone” and create a vehicle that can perform flips and tricks. Try using the biggest ramp as a takeoff ramp for a great start. If you get bored of flying around the island you always take off

from, try searching for the hidden island. It will take some engineering and a lot of fuel, but it is out there. With “Simple Planes” it is easy to pass the fifteen minutes between class or even hours of your day. Use your imagination, with so many parts at your disposal, the sky is the limit. Take to the skies! Get onto the race track! Do whatever your mind can think up in this amazing sandbox simulation app. Stay tuned for next week’s App of the Week. I will be reviewing an app created by one of our very own students here at Embry-Riddle.

Image Courtesy: Jundroo

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Assassin’s Creed Origins

Brandon Collins/The Avion Newspaper

Brandon Collins WIKD-Avion Liaison Assassin’s Creed Origins is easily one of the most anticipated games of the year. Officially announced earlier this year at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (a.k.a. E3), it was released this past Friday, October 27, and is Ubisoft’s tenth installment into the series, following 2015’s ninth installment, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. Assassin’s Creed Origins (ACO) goes further back in time to Ancient Egypt in 49 B.C.. and follows the life of Bayek, a Medjay (an elite police force in Ancient Egypt) who would later go on and form the Assassin’s Brotherhood that players are familiar with from previous entries in the series. Origins is without a doubt, one of, if not the most, beautiful and awe-inspiring Assassin’s Creed game ever. Taking place in Ancient Egypt, the design team had a lot to play with in recreating Egypt in the era that they wanted. From the Great Pyramids of Giza to the Royal Library of Alexandria, the team created

a vast and expansive landscape in between. What I originally thought would be a mind-numbingly boring experience crossing through deserts is in actuality a beautiful landscape that is intricately designed that has caused myself and other players to stop and just take in the view. With what is their largest map to date, there is a lot to explore and a plethora of views to take in and enjoy. What makes all this even more amazing is the fact that you can go anywhere without having to suffer through loading screens (unless you decide to fast-travel, or you happen to come across a cutscene). The map is one giant design allowing for seamless transitions between areas of the map. One thing that many fans had a concern about was the removal of the mini-map from the bottom, left-hand corner of HUD, which has been a constant companion to players since the very first Assassin’s Creed game. It was switched out for a compass at the top of the screen, with various symbols on it

showing the player how far certain things are from the them. Personally, I prefer it to the mini-map, since in the last two games the mini-map would become significantly cluttered from after synchronizing a new viewpoint due to the number of things that would appear. Thankfully though, the clutter of chests is not an issue in Origins. Rather than having a new chest every few feet, they are now spread out over the map and are actually kind of fun to find now. The missions in Origins have been redone just like most other things in the game. One of the biggest changes in the game is the removal of necessary stealth to beat a mission. You can no longer be desynchronized if you are detected by enemies while attempting to complete the mission. The missions flow rather well, and allow for players to stop pursuing one mission in the middle of it, and switch easily to another mission if it appears and they do so choose to change missions. The fact that the game has become more RPG based

and now includes a level progression system allows for the suggested level of missions and encourages players to undertake side quest so that they can level-up for the story. The introduction of the leveling system was a first for the series and was a nice change in pace. Bayek’s level determines what gear he can use, the missions he can undertake successfully, and most importantly, what skills he gets. Although you can choose any skill, you still have to level up to get skill points to improve Bayek’s skills and abilities. The combat in Origins was completely redone for the first time in Assassin’s Creed franchise history. Changing from one-on-one combat to a sort of hitbox system, where you have the potential to either hit one enemy, multiple enemies, or just no one at all. The new combat style allows for the player to become overwhelmed by enemies and makes knowing when to parry, block, and dodge much more important. This type of combat allows for more agro players to play the game

with their latest album, Cold Like War. Cold Like War is We Came as Romans fifth studio album, following their self-titled album which wasn’t well received by their fans. The album opening track, “Vultures With Clipped Wings,” starts off soft and slowly begins to build momentum and finally bursts when Dave Stephens, one of the main vocalists, states that “I never found peace, but now I am fighting a war,” which is immediately followed by the explosions of instruments, with the bashing of the drums

standing out above the other instruments. The following track, which is also the title track, “Cold Like War,” is composed of driving guitars and split vocals, and keeps the momentum started by “Vultures with Clipped Wings” going hard. Most songs on Cold Like War have a similar heavy vibe that flows throughout most of the album. On one track, “If There’s Nothing To See,” We Came As Romans features Eric Vanlerberghe, vocalist of I Prevail. Vanlerberghe provides back-

ing vocals/screaming throughout the song, doing most of the screaming choruses alongside Stephens vocal portions. Overall, “Cold Like War” was a solid album. With this album, We Came As Romans returned to their heavier roots and have won back some fans after their softer last album. Of course, there are a couple of songs that are noticeably softer than other songs on the album, such as “Promise Me” which is more synthetic than the rest of the album, highlighting clean vocalist’s, Kyle Pavone, solo EDM career.

WCAR - Cold Like War

Brandon Collins WIKD-Avion Liaison We Came As Romans, a metalcore band from Troy, Michigan, has gone through a lot since the start of their band. For one, they had a name change three years into their career, and have had several major lineup changes as well. But it seems, that after all they’ve been through, they have finally found what they wanted with their latest album. Released on October 20th of this year, the band has decided to take a heavier approach to music again

Assassin’s Creed Origins

in an aggressive way. Don’t think that means you can’t play the game in a stealth way instead, the game is still very much stealth-friendly and allows for players to continue the stealth-based combat system its predecessors had if they so choose to play the game in that way. Overall, Assassin’s Creed Origins is easily one of the best in the series. From its ornate level designs, beautiful landscapes, redesign of the combat system, and introduction of Bayek, one of the founders of the Brotherhood, Origins is definitely a hit and well worth the extra years’ time we had to wait for it. It is a great example of what games like this should be, and it dropped many of the issues from previous games. A really nice addition to the series was the photo mode, which allows users to take photos in game anywhere they want.

The addition of micro-transactions to the game wasn’t that big, being completely optional the entire game and not really affecting the game. As far as I have seen, it has only had a handful of minor issues, such as a horse getting stuck for a bit and an instance of dialogue that seemed a little forced, but otherwise this game has been just truly amazing. The newly introduced RPG elements in the game keep it a moderately challenging game do to level progressions. It is easily the most addictive game I’ve played all year, and I can’t seem to make myself put the controller down longer than just a few minutes at a time. The Avion Newspaper was provided a review copy of the game by Ubisoft Studios, and would like to thank them for the opportunity they provided us to review the game.

WCAR, Cold Like War

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