The Avion Issue 1 Spring 2023

Spring 2023 Issue 1

A Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

,

As we begin a new semester, I want to take a moment to welcome you back to the world of learning and growth. Whether you’re returning to school a er a well-deserved break or starting your academic journey for the rst time, I am excited to embark on this new journey with you.

As you dive into your studies, I urge you to remember the importance of self-care. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of academic life, but it’s essential to take a step back and prioritize your mental and physical health. is can mean di erent things for di erent people, but some simple selfcare practices include getting enough sleep, eating well, staying active, and setting aside time for relaxation and self-re ection.

Moreover, taking care of oneself can have a positive impact on academic performance as well. When we are well-rested, well-fed, and well-balanced, we are better equipped to handle the challenges of academic life. So don’t neglect yourself in the pursuit of academic success; take care of yourself, and success will follow.

is semester, I’m looking forward to all the events in store. From Eagle Feud to EaglePalooza, Photo Booths, Super Bowl parties, and more, there’s SO much to do. I, for sure, will be at many Skyline Socials unwinding a er a busy week, and I hope to see you there!

In this semester, we at will continue to provide you with insightful and thought-provoking content that will inspire you to grow and learn. So, buckle up and get ready to embark on a journey of knowledge, growth, and self-discovery.

Best of luck for Spring!

Sincerely,

Dylan J Kowlessar Editor-in-Chief,

Kyle Navarro / The Avion

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ISSUE

WHAT REMAINS OF THE AVIATION INDUSTRY

Exploring one of the many aircraft boneyards of the United States.

SPACEX FALCON HEAVY

MISSION SUCCESS!

An up-close-and-personal look at SpaceX’s largest rocket and its launch on Jan. 15.

PROFESSOR SPOTLIGHT

A deep dive into the career path of Dr. Chris Bonner and his experience in the FBI.

DISHING OUT DREAMS

Congratulating an Embry-Riddle student who won Sodexo’s national sweepstakes.

FRONT COVER

Captured at the Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport in Michigan, this Boeing 747 is just one of many airplanes in the boneyard, patiently awaiting their end of life.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GAGE ALTROCK (@gage altrock)

JUST FOR LAUGHS

An recap of Skyline Social & Touch-N-Go Productions’ Comedy Show, featuring Morgan Jay and Ben Palmer.

GREEK LIFE SHOWCASE

A look at some of our Greek Life organizations and the values they are built upon.

BAC K COVER

Playfully dubbed “Allie the Alligator,” this reptile was captured while preparing for the launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket at Launch Complex 39A, Cape Canaveral, FL.

PHOTOGRAPH BY KYLE NAVARRO (@kylenavarrophoto)

What Remains of the Aviation Industry

Exploring One of the Boneyards of the United States

Gage Altrock Correspondent

Over Christmas break, I got up close with some decommissioned airplanes at an aircraft boneyard in Oscoda, Michigan. A former B-52 Air Force base decommissioned in 1993, Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport is now a major facility for Kalitta Air Cargo. Serving as the largest operator of the airport, Kalitta has taken full advantage of the 15,000-foot runway by flying in heavy aircraft from around the world to be converted into cargo aircraft or sold off as scrap. Because of this, the queue of aircraft waiting for their fate makes for a unique sight. After flying in by plane, we locked the aircraft, grabbed our gear, and walked the mile journey from the FBO to the boneyard.

Looking around, you’ll find all kinds of aircraft from many different operators. While some didn’t fly far to get here, others have flown across the globe to their final resting place. One plane, VH-OEJ, better known as the last Qantas 747, is one of the many aircraft being converted into freighters. After its retirement in 2015, the aircraft was flown to the Mojave Desert for what was thought to be its final resting place. However, in June of 2022, it departed the desert bound for Michigan. It will now begin the process of reviving the airplane for its next life as a cargo aircraft.

It was amazing to see these giants in person instead of behind the glass of a terminal or magazine pages. Though unfortunately, the queen of the sky is being phased out of passenger service, it’s exciting to see it repurposed into cargo aircraft.

Pilot Zach Bates sits in the cockpit in one of Endeavor Air’s brand new CRJ-900s after being selected as part of a group to deliver it to Endeavor.

Photo provided by Zach Bates

SUMMER

of opportunity

SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY.

This summer, you’re invited to stay on campus for an exciting semester of engaging activities, unique face-to-face courses and more!

Take advantage of this unique opportunity today!

Register by May 18, 2023

HIGHLIGHTS

• Student employment opportunities

• Save 20% on tuition for summer courses

• Complete your degree sooner

• Enhanced campus activities

• Discounted housing

• Tutoring available

SUMMER COURSES

was rst published as a newspaper in 1969, but the format and feel of the publication has adapted with the everchanging times, and is now a student-lifeoriented magazine.

With physical print issues going out every two weeks, relevant and timely news and updates can sometimes be outdated by the time of publication. ’s Broadcast Project was created as a means to expand the horizons of what we provide to the student body, a new product of , as a way to publish news and updates via a fully-digital, video format.

Members of volunteer their time to write scripts and record pieces on weather, sports, announcing events around campus, and information on and the SGA. ey also report on the aviation, business, engineering, and astronomy and astrophysics industries.

Every episode also features a guest interview. So far, the divisions of the SGA have been featured, and we have lots more planned!

Each broadcaster researches what they are reporting on, writes a script, and we lm on Mondays in the College of Aviation’s Broadcast Studio. A er lming, the tech crew puts the clips together, and yes, there are bloopers (lots of them!).

Each week a new link will be posted to the ERNIE Banner for students and faculty to access the broadcast.

The Avion’s News Anchors, Tucker Lehtonen and Andrew Harker, pose at the desk before recording.

A New Era of Academic Support

The Center for Communication and Digital Media is Open!

Jillian Preite Correspondent

Students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University can now acquire help for written, spoken, and digital communication all in one place with the opening of the Center for Communication and Digital Media (CCDM), located on the fourth floor of the Mori Hosseini Student Union, inside the Hunt Library, room 431.

There was a great turnout at the Grand Opening of the CCDM that took place Jan. 18. Attendees were able to connect with tutors and learn more about what the CCDM offers and how it can benefit them. Alongside the food and beverages, there were multiple activity stations to demonstrate the types of assistance that can be provided to students, faculty, and staff.

Stations highlighted previous work done by students and tutors and showcased the CCDM’s state-of-the-art audio and video recording equipment. Several events were also advertised at the Grand Opening, including an upcoming Speech competition and an ongoing digital storytelling project.

Dr. Cassandra Branham, the Director at the CCDM, says that the Grand Opening was a ‘great success’, and that she hopes it helped spread the word about the CCDM to the campus community.

Attendees were able to interact with tutors and were very pleased with the services available at the CCDM and are excited to

have a place to obtain communicationoriented skills.

The Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Peter Hoffmann, who attended the Grand Opening says it was very beneficial to show off the new center to students, faculty, and staff. “The Grand Opening was very well attended by students, faculty and staff, showing the interest and support for the new center,” Hoffman said. “The CCDM is located in a beautiful space and has excellent tutors on hand to help students with a variety of projects.”

Interim Chair and Associate Professor of Humanities and Communication at the university, Steven Master, also attended the event and said that it was a great way to display what the CCDM offers to students. “The cool thing about the Grand Opening is how it reflected what the CCDM aspires to be and will be — a warm, collaborative, upbeat space where students have fun working with our great tutors to improve their communication skills.” Master said. Master added that he looks forward to a ‘new era’ of academic support for communication skills at Embry-Riddle.

The CCDM came about after the Writing Center and Digital Studio decided to merge in order to benefit students with all the communication based tutoring they need in one spot. This includes resumes, cover letters, reports, recording podcasts,

filming, editing videos and pictures, and much more.

“We think it makes sense to meld the two together so students can come in while working on a digital communication project or a written communication project and benefit from both someone with expertise in writing as well as someone with expertise in design,” Branham said.

Jacob Welch, a writing tutor, says that the merge is a great opportunity for both students and tutors. “I think it gives an opportunity for all the different tutors to gain new skills and be educated in a more holistic way,” Welch said.

Branham added that as far as digital media goes, support is also available for faculty and staff who are interested in developing their digital literacies.

A website is currently in development, which will include tutor biographies, resources, and projects. Tutoring sessions for written communication are limited to 45-minutes per session, while digital appointments are bootable in 30-minute increments but can be extended for the amount of time needed.

Hours of operation for the CCDM are Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 12 p.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m.-9 p.m..

Photos depict students, faculty, and staff at the Grand Opening of the CCDM on Jan. 18

e Roar Before the Rolex 24 is a weekend that locals have come to know as fairly normal, yet it seems that lots of people don’t actually know what happens during this weekend of high-speed events preceding the famous Rolex 24. In reality, the Roar Before the Rolex 24 is a weekend lled with practices, testing, qualifying, and a variety of di erent races all divided between three racing series; with eight di erent classes of cars! is year, over the weekend of Jan. 2022, there was a hum that lled the speedway. Both the teams and the fans were in uncharted territory, as this year was the debut of the new Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class. is new class of hybrid car is replacing the well-loved Daytona Prototype International (DPI) class for this season and those moving forward. e 2023 Rolex 24 is sure to be an exciting race this year, check it out if you can!

Car #96 of Turner Motorsport, driven by Vincent Barletta, comes into turn 4 closely followed by the #25 car of Auto Technic racing, driven by Rob Walker, during the VP racing SportsCar Challenge Race 1 on Jan. 21, 2023.

The car of AF Corse #88 drives into turn 3 at Daytona International Speedway during qualifying for the Rolex 24 in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class on Jan. 22, 2023.

The Ford Mustang #59 of Kohr Motorsports overtakes the Mercedes AMG GT #27 of Lone Star racing on the straight into Turn 3 of the Daytona International Speedway during the Michelin Pilot Challenge Practice 1 on the last day of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 on Jan. 22, 2023.

Car #30 of Sean Creech Motorsport, driven by Lance Wilsey, passes Car #44 of Accelerating Performance Racing, driven by Moisey Uretsky, on the banking of Nascar Turn 4 at Daytona International Speedway during the VP racing SportsCar Challenge Race 1 on Jan. 21, 2023.

Professor Spotlight

Dr. Chris Bonner / Security Studies and International Affairs

Madison Burstiner Copy Editor

When entering college, students are told again and again that their professors are one of the best resources for success available to them. Despite this, students occasionally struggle to have conversations with their instructors, ask for their insight or extra help, or discuss their career aspirations with people who know the industry best.

Professor Spotlight, a new series by The Avion, seeks to spotlight a new professor each issue, from all of the various disciplines and industries offered here at ERAU. By interviewing professors, we hope to learn and share with the ERAU community how their professors got to where they are, and how students can set themselves up for success in their respective industries. We also hope to break down barriers between students and their instructors, illustrating how these subject matter experts can be a priceless resource in helping students to take their first steps into their careers.

For the first entry in this series, The Avion’s Copy Editor Madison Burstiner sat down with Dr. Chris Bonner, Associate Professor of Security Studies and International Affairs to talk about his path towards joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Professor Bonner comes from a family with an incredible legacy of service to the United States, beginning with his grandfather, a police officer. His father was an FBI agent, and the inspiration for Bonner’s career.

This is the question that Dr. Chris Bonner, Associate Professor of EmbryRiddle’s Security Studies and International Affairs (SSIA) department, has asked countless students. Innumerable students, myself included, have wandered into his office hours for advice and direction about their careers. A career FBI agent with nearly thirty years of service to his name, Professor Bonner is one of the SSIA department’s most iconic professorsfor good reason.

Professor Bonner is known for entertaining students in his classes with incredible stories of his encounters while in the FBI, some stories so fantastic they are reminiscent of a TV crime drama or a blockbuster superhero flick. But though Bonner jokes of his stories that “some of them are true!”, the tales illustrate his extensive experience in federal law enforcement and intelligence, a career that many ERAU students dream about.

Of his father, Bonner notes, “I always told people if I could have been half the man that he was, I would consider myself a 100% success.”

And Professor Bonner went on to have one of his children, his son, join the Marine Corps. In an experience unlikely to be had by any other parent and child, Bonner was actually able to meet up with his son while they were both deployed to Iraq during the same time period, Bonner for the FBI and his son for the Marines (see photo on page 15).

With a family legacy like that, it is no wonder that Professor Bonner had the career he did. While with the FBI, Bonner gained investigative experience in white collar, violent and property crime, narcotics, intelligence, and counter terrorism.

Some highlights of his career include his coordination of the trial preparation of Saddam Hussein, the former President of Iraq that was convicted for crimes against humanity, including genocide. Bonner notes that this trial experience, which was unlike any other criminal trial he had participated in before, was unbelievable; and perhaps the pinnacle of his career.

Professor Bonner was a large part of history in this way- Saddam Hussein was tried and convicted by the Iraqi people for his crimes against them, some of which were simply unspeakable.

Of this experience, Professor Bonner said, “You walk in there, and all of a sudden you just stop, and catch your breath. And right in front of you, is Saddam Hussein. Which I considered one of the worst despots of the 20th century. And he’s sitting there, ten feet away from you… It’s as if Hitler was captured alive and we put him on trial… I was exposed to things that I thought that no human being would ever do to another human being.”

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

All photos provided by Dr. Chris Bonner

The trial of Saddam Hussein, though a career highlight, was no light-hearted affair. It is an example of the weight this career carries, of the mental and emotional hardship that can be experienced on any given day in this field.

Professor Bonner’s connection with Embry-Riddle goes deeper than his years as a professor. After the 9/11 attacks, counter terrorism became the number one priority of the FBI. On the day of the attacks, Professor Bonner was working in the Jacksonville FBI Field Office. An order came from headquarters notifying FBI Jacksonville that a student of the name of one of the 9/11 hijackers is enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Bonner received orders to find out if this was true, without fail. After a brief investigation, it was discovered that the ERAU student and the hijacker were not the same person, and simply shared a common name. Miraculously, Professor Bonner was able to locate the student by close of business that same day, and confirm the student was a totally

different individual with no connection to the hijackings. But his work did not end there.

The weeks after 9/11 were not easy for any American, but those in the FBI were delegated a daunting task: investigating each tip they were given. Professor Bonner was no exception to this order, he and colleagues spent weeks chasing post 9/11 tips. But there was an unforeseen consequence of the inaccurate connection between EmbryRiddle and the hijackings. EmbryRiddle gained the reputation of the “place where they train terrorists.”

Professor Bonner was instrumental in combating this horrifying rumor, and restoring the reputation of the community we all call home. During these weeks he was not only busy clearing ERAU’s name, but defending the Daytona Beach Muslim community. The 9/11 attacks hurt every American, including Muslim Americans. Islamophobia ran rampant after 9/11, and Professor Bonner was no stranger to dealing with the direct consequences. When he would receive tips and calls to investigate local Muslim communities and even places of worship, Bonner was headstrong in upholding every Americans first and fourth amendment rights, a hard thing to do immediately following the deadliest attack on American soil.

He explains that “It’s simple. Are you gonna be on the right side or are you gonna be on the wrong side of things? Learn what the right side is and stay with it, stay true to your values.”

And Professor Bonner’s values, he explains, start with the constitution. A self described constitutionalist, Professor Bonner carried a pocket constitution with him for much of his career to remind himself of the limits of his power. “That was kinda my guiding light,” says Bonner fondly, “my guiding principle- the constitution of the United States.”

There is much more to be said about Professor Bonner’s extensive and

impressive career, including an insane story of a day that began at 7 a.m., ended at 3 a.m., and consisted of a fight with and arrest of a fugitive (sans backup), visiting a husband accused of extortion, interviewing an inmate about his black market hussle, and responding to a bank robbery with a bomb discovered on scene that required the deployment of two separate bomb squads. (For those curious, this 20 hour day took place on Oct. 6, 1996, and was Bonner’s most memorable day in the FBI.) At the end of the day, Bonner’s favorite part of the FBI was just that: being in the FBI.

He remembers fondly, “I couldn’t wait to go to work the next day…I’m doing things that a lot of people could only imagine.” He also credits much of his success to his beloved wife, who he says was a constant pillar of support.

As students, we understand better than anyone the yearn for a job that is personally and professionally fulfilling, a job that challenges and excites us, and makes us into better people. Many of us are here at ERAU pursuing those careers.

If there is anything to be taken from this series, it is that the professors we have on campus are a priceless resource. And they want to help you. As Bonner says frequently, he truly enjoys mentoring students and providing career counseling.

Of his students, Bonner says, “They’re successful. That means I was successful. And that’s what makes me happiest.”

And to that end, Professor Bonner offers these words of advice: Identify your passion, your interests. What do you want to be when you grow up? Be prepared for some disappointment, not everyone gets selected.

Have plan B, C, D, through E in your back pocket. Ethics, ethics, and ethics. Be true to yourself, be true to your values. Find out what you want to do, what you want to be, and just go, go, go for it. Adapt and conquer!

Professor Chris Bonner and his son in Habbaniyah, Iraq. Bonner was on temporary assignment in Iraq for the FBI, and his son was deployed there for the Marines. Bonner traveled approximately 100 miles West of his own station to be able to surprise his son with a visit. He notes this surreal experience created a special bond between him and his son. Page 15

The PlusSized Pioneer:

The story of the Boeing 747

Competition to introduce the new airliner into service was erce. But Pan Am became the rst airline to put the 747 into service. e inaugural ight occurred on January 22, 1970, with a route from JFK International to London Heathrow. Although technical di culties grounded the original aircra , a second 747 christened as the “Clipper Young America” made the historic journey. One month later, Trans World Airlines (TWA), introduced scheduled service for their own 747s. ey also introduced the rst terminal specially designed to accommodate

e idea for the 747 got started a er Boeing lost a major military contract in 1963. ey set out to build a large airliner to take advantage of the high-bypass engine designed for their proposed military jet, the C-5A. e purpose of the new airliner was to meet demand created by the surge of air-passenger tra c and crowded skies.

purchasing 25 747-100s to add to their eet. Pan Am was also heavily involved with assisting in the development of the JT9D engine that would be used.

Airlines would also be adding the 747 to their eet.

The proposed design for the jet came in three con gurations: all passenger, all cargo, and a convertible passenger/ freight model. Sized at 231 feet long, with a wingspan of 195 feet, it is the largest currently operating passenger jet, and the heaviest jet manufactured in the United States. Initial designs called for a twin deck to increase passenger capacity, but Boeing found that it was impossible to evacuate the decks within the recommended time frame in an emergency. e single, main deck design was nalized in 1965.

of the year.

Center. A er the end of the Space Shuttle Program, the 747 with the designation NASA 905 ferried Discovery, Enterprise and Endeavour to their forever museum homes, where they are still currently on display for the public.

of the biggest air disasters involving the 747 occurred on March 27, 1977.

On that

NASA acquired and modi ed two 747s in 1976 to be used for carrying their Space Shuttles, denoted as Shuttle day, at Los Rodeos Airport, two passenger 747s collided on the runway, killing everyone on board KLM Flight 4805 and most on Pan Am Flight 1736. Only 61 people survived. It was determined the cause of the disaster stemmed from a series of unfortunate events, starting with a bomb going o at Gran Canaria Airport that diverted ights to Los Rodeos, and ending with the KLM 747 attempting a takeo with Pan Am’s 747 still on the runway, concealed by fog. With 583 overall fatalities, it remains the deadliest accident in aviation history.

of ight. e program was canceled in 2011, and in 2012 the YAL-1 was own to the USAF “boneyard” in Pima, Arizona.

In order to transport the necessary components for the assembly of the 787 Dreamliner, Boeing announced it would be designing and using a specialized 747 known as the Dreamli er. e Dreamli er had a similar bulging fuselage concept to the Super Guppy, Airbus Beluga and Beluga XL, and served similar functions. e rst of the modi ed 747s rolled o the line in 2006 and entered service in 2008. One of its most notable ights was when one arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, delivering 500,000 masks for school teachers and students during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, as a joint relief e ort between Boeing, the state of Utah, and several major companies and carriers.

e very last of the 747s rolled o the line on December 6, 2022, to ll an order for Atlas Air as a freighter plane.

Candice Kingery Marketing Director, Sodexo at ERAU

Jonathan Schroder, a student at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, was recently named one of nineteen randomly selected winners in Sodexo’s “Dishing Out Dreams Sweepstakes” as part of its fall resident dining promotion series.

is national prize sweepstakes gave students across the United States the chance to win one of nineteen $500 donations. ese donations are made in their name to a food-related charity of their choice. Jonathan selected Anchor Ridge from North Wilkesboro, NC as his charity bene ciary. In addition to the donation, Jonathan will receive a $575 Best Buy gi card to use toward a choice of a tablet.

Featured at more than 600 Sodexo-managed colleges and universities nationwide, Sodexo’s fall resident dining promotion series included several enjoyable events for students in addition to the Dishing Out Dreams Sweepstakes. Two core dining showcase events, GrEAT Expeditions and Imagine at!, were lled with palate and planet-pleasing options, fantasyinspired mash-ups and more!

In addition to initiatives happening nationwide, Sodexo is interested in having YOU be involved with their services on our campus. e Culinary Council is a group of students who advocate for students’ dining needs, and anyone can join. e Council assists with event marketing, planning, and execution, and even gets rst-hand previews of new menu items and other programs before they roll out to the general student body. Visit their Instagram page @erau_eats for more information.

Touch-N-Go Presents: Escape Rooms

Salim Roig Senior Reporter

Have you ever wanted to test out your critical thinking skills in a high stakes situation? If you answered yes to this question, then you would have loved the TouchN-Go Escape Rooms. Held on Jan. 27, the event was a fun experience that could be enjoyed by all.

The event consisted of two different themed escape rooms called “Dr. Frankenstein’s Lab” and “Oval Office Doomsday”. In both escape rooms, you had about 10 minutes to complete them, meaning that once you entered, you couldn’t waste any time. This added pressure ensured that when you enter, it felt like every last second counts.

The first escape room was themed around Dr. Frankenstein. It was a fun, quirky, horror-filled experience! The goal was to find clues such as lost body parts, missing person case briefs, and other spooky hints in order to figure out the identity of the seven people that went missing after visiting the mad doctor, and what happened to them.

At the end of this session, you scored based on how accurate your theories were. If you got around 75% of a person’s case correct, you scored a point. Once you got four points, you were able to gather enough

evidence for the police to arrest Dr. Frankenstein for his crimes.

The other escape room option that you could partake in was the Oval Office Doomsday event. In this escape room, you were told that nuclear Armageddon was about to strike the world and the only way you can stop it is by figuring out the code hidden in the president’s office, finding the key to the nuclear warhead, and deactivating it. This escape is a lot more straightforward then the other one, however, it was still an amazing experience. Throughout the whole encounter, you have to decipher a bunch of hidden codes located in books, apparel, and photos scattered across the floor of the Oval Office.

When asked about their experience in each escape room, students stated that, “This is an amazing way to do something silly on a Friday,” “This is one of the events I look forward to the most every year,” and “I love escapes but they cost so much, so it’s great to be able to attend one without paying anything.”

If you ever wish to experience these escape rooms, or other events, make sure to stay updated with Touch-N-Go Productions.

All photos courtesy / Touch-N-Go Productions

All 3 photos: Students engage in a photo booth after their participation in Touch-N-Go Productions’ Escape Rooms on Jan. 27.

Ben Palmer, picutred onstage, recounnting his past and present online corporate hijinks to the crowd.

Morgan Jay pictured doing the popular “ice in my veins” pose and saying “SHEEESH”. Morgan invited an audience member on stage, who had a pleading expression on their face.

Morgan Jay, on stage with his trusty guitar, as he sings an improv song based on random suggestions from the crowd.

We are graduate and undergraduate students in the Research in User eXperience (RUX) Lab in the Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology. RUX investigates the usability and user experience of technology in our everyday world. This is a regular column that explores different technologies typically used by Embry-Riddle students.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mixed Reality is Knocking on Virtual Reality’s Door and Making Itself at Home

This article was a combined effort by RUX’s Graduate Researchers

Virtual Reality (VR) developers have begun to introduce Mixed Reality (MR) and Augmented Reality (AR) into their devices. Their goal is to create Extended Reality (XR) headsets capable of producing a VRimmersive experience and enabling users to see the real environment around them as they want to. Companies like Meta, Lenovo, Varjo, and Vive have jumped onto this XR bandwagon with headsets like the Meta Quest Pro, Lenovo ThinkReality, Varjo XR-3, and Vive XR Elite. Rumor has it that even Apple plans to release a VR or MR headset later this year, but what does this mean for VR users? Is this where the future is heading? Do you need to replace your old Oculus or Vive with one of these devices? We’re here to talk about it!

How are these VR headsets different from other headsets?

Until now, VR headsets only allowed users to see virtual content. You put on the headset, and everything around you is virtual — your environment, objects you’re interacting with, and other people. You could put on the headset and be immersed in space, tossing moon rocks back and forth with your Avatar buddy. Some headsets show a very basic view of your actual environment, like the Meta Quest 2, which offers a grainy black-and-white recreation of your real environment when setting up your virtual barrier to help you not knock into real-world objects. It is almost like seeing your real environment on a grainy TV screen from the 1950s.

VR headsets are introducing MR capabilities today by recreating your physical surroundings as a virtual

environment with virtual objects. They can do this with video passthrough display technology. These devices use cameras outside the headset to film your physical space and recreate it within its display. These devices differ from other AR/MR headsets like the Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap with see-through optic displays.

Usually, users can see virtual objects on the clear glass display and their natural environment. One benefit of see-through optic displays is that the actual environment is transparent and does not have a grainy effect, unlike many video passthrough displays. The technology needs to be more advanced for a clear view of the environment.

Another big difference between these VR and MR headsets and others on the market is the price point. Since companies keep adding new AR or MR technology to these VR headsets, they are much pricier than other VR headsets on the market but are still more affordable than other AR or MR devices.

A student using the Meta Quest Pro, an XR headset device capable of bothVR and AR/ MR (left), and the HoloLens 2, an optic see-through display AR/MR Headset (right) All photos provided by The RUX Lab

But are these XR headsets good enough to buy?

Members in our lab experienced the Meta Quest Pro headset in both VR and MR modes. The VR experience was of good quality for a standalone headset that does not require a powerful gaming PC. It was comparable to other, cheaper, VR headsets like the Meta Quest 2, with an added — though possibly unnecessary — feature of Avatar Facial Tracking so you can smile, frown, and yell at your online friends in your conversations. We had high hopes for the MR video passthrough, but it seemed to miss the mark. The color video passthrough is an upgrade to the Meta Quest 2’s black-and-white grainy view, but you can still tell you are looking at a copy of your environment instead of being fully immersed in the world.

The background environment was grainy and blurry to the point that it was difficult to read text or look at a computer screen while wearing the device. However, it is clear enough to tell when your cat is walking by your feet, or it may allow you to pick up a snack on a table while gaming. Video passthrough is not as crisp and clear as see-through optic devices like the Microsoft HoloLens. It was also challenging to find what apps allowed MR to pass through, as developers have not fully stocked the app store with these yet. We were only able to find eight or so apps to try out.

Should you buy these new XR headsets? It depends.

Are you an early adopter of new technology? Are you an XR enthusiast? Do you have an extra thousand dollars lying around in your bank account waiting to be spent? If so, these XR headsets may be a good introduction to AR and MR while also giving you a VR experience.

We think it would be a safe bet to wait until more of these XR headsets are released for the technology and apps to improve before investing in these XR headsets. However, if you are mainly interested in the VR features, you could get the same experience with a much cheaper headset.

That is where the VR market is heading, so you will likely have many more options for XR in the near future.

Embry-Riddle Women’s Lacrosse is listed at No. 16 in NCAA II according to the ILWomen/IWLCA DII poll announced early February. e poll is voted on jointly by coaches throughout the country, as well as members of the media.

Now in their h season of competition, the Eagles were also ranked 16th in the 2023 Nike/USA Lacrosse Division II Women’s Preseason Top 20. e Eagles were ranked as high as 11th nationally in 2022. Embry-Riddle is one of six teams ranked in the IWLCA preseason poll, joining Florida Southern (4), Tampa (7), Rollins (10), Lynn (15) and Saint Leo (25) in the Top 25 listing.

Read more about our Women’s Lacrosse team and their continued successes at erauathletics.com

e best backstop in the Sunshine State Conference last year, Embry-Riddle baseball’s Jeremy Kennedy-Davis has garnered National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason All-South Region Team accolades prior to the start of his junior season. Kennedy-Davis was among 11 studentathletes in the South Region in the Honorable Mention listing.

A native of Pompano Beach, Florida, Kennedy-Davis was the Eagles’ best player as a sophomore, earning rst team AllSunshine State Conference, second team ABCA All-Region, and honorable mention NCBWA All-Region accolades. He hit .353 with 55 hits, 12 doubles, and six home runs, pacing the team in all those categories, while driving in 30 runs, and

scoring 30 times. Kennedy-Davis slugged .545 and had an on-base of .434 for the Blue and Gold, playing in 43 games, starting 40 times, and had eight multi-RBI games and 17 multihit contests.

Freshman Mikaela Miles headlined Embry-Riddle Women’s Track & Field’s performance as the Eagles opened the 2023 season at the RADD Sports Invitational at the brand-new Alachua County Sports Complex on Jan. 20.

Miles started the day with a bang for the Eagles, setting a program indoor record in the triple jump. All three of her preliminary jumps eclipsed the previous school record of 11.34m, but her rst attempt solidi ed her standing as the program’s best as she recorded a mark of 11.98m to hit the NCAA II provisional standard. at mark also stands as the ninth-best in NCAA II so far this season.

It took only one race for freshman Jake Fritz to cement his name in the Embry-Riddle men’s track and eld record books as he set the program’s indoor 800m record in his rst collegiate competition. e Cape Coral, Florida, native ran a 1:53.40 at the Radd Sports Invitational on Jan. 20, besting the previous record by nearly one second. Fellow Eagle Jacob D’Aleo followed closely behind with the second-fastest time in program history - a 1:54.36.

Flight Certifications

FALL 2022 & SPRING 2023

Congratulations to those who received their certification!

Rachel Maie Ferree

Salem Khalid Z Bajamal

Samuel Laborde Longin

Seokjun Hong

Seung-Woo Hong

Seungsoo Kim

Suan Seol

Sydney Ann Pittman

Takumi Fujimoto

Thomas Anthony Delise

Zachary Brian Plaas

Zoe Lynn Weissman

PRIVATE PILOT (121)

Ashton Neal Blalock

Auriel Elwin Ocasio Arroyo

Benjamin Peter Calhoun

Bethanny Oliver Roy

Blake Alexander Rhodes

Brianna Rose Stapleton

Byounguk Park

Carlo Miguel Francavilla

Charles Joseph Bellett

Christopher Thomas Arvid

David Alexander Kohn

Demitri Deaudre Barnes

Dennis Joseph Christian Krempski

Diego Alberto Nieves Salva

Drew Elizabeth Szlasa

Duk Kyu Yoon

Eric David Isaacs

Eun Ji Hong

Gilberto Avelino Millares

Giovanni Bisi Gunderson

Hyejung Choi

Jackie Lynn Pryor

Jacob Michael Zielinski

Jacob Warren Patterson

Jared Jackson Banks

Jeremy James Ficsor

John Matthew Tundidor

Jonathan Thomas Grindem

Jongseob Kim

Junoh Kwon

Kyle Ethan Bullock

Kylin Brook Olinger

Laisha Marie Duran Marinez

Lucas Matthew Whelan

Luis Jose Montes Rivera

Luke Joseph Marchesani

Maynard David Gregory Melhem

Michael Turchinskas

Nicholas Ryan Bowers

Nicholas Ward Phillipps

Pablo Bandera Lopez

Piero Sotelo

INSTRUMENT RATING (221)

Adam Christopher Rozsalyi

Aida-Alexa Cirlan-Hustea

Alessa Sevval Klunk

Alexander Jon Jorgensen

Alexander Michael Marino

Andrew Howard Schneider

Anna Ryan Holmes

Annalise Monica Heid

Austin James Maple

Austin James Ondas

Avery Lynn Martin

Brandon Edward Lalena

Brendan Jai Snyder

Byounghwi Ahn

Charles Ian Coant

Charles Jacob Brouwer

Christian Pieri

Christopher James Hoffman

Christopher Michael Barbaro

Conner Adam Hedge

Cyprianni Fitzgerald Stewart

Daniel Joseph Wetzel

Dariel Garcia

Delaney Alexander Stutzki

Delaney Nicole Buckler

Dom Aloysius Bico Mandigma

Dukhwan Kim

Fady Medhat Lamey Ibrahim

Frank Domenic Basile

Gage William Gasper

Garrett Michael Linney

Grace Elizabeth White

Hadi El-Taki

Hannah Rose Devenney

Heejae Kam

Jack Ivan Lynch

Jack Ryan Kelly

Jackson Warren Septer

Jacob Charles Rubin

Jacob Lior Nessim

Jadon Ulysses Wilson

Jahi Omari Roberts

Jay Desai Doscher

Jaydon Daryl Grumbine

Jiacheng Zhang

John Alexander Kalvin

Jongseob Kim

Joohyeon Kim

Jose Luis Gonzalez

Joshua Peter Cortez

June-Buhm Chang

Junjie Huang

Kaitlyn Louise Kogl

Kane Archer Molliere

Keaton Craig Walberg

Kenri Takeshi Grisham

Khaled Abdulrahman S Alsofian

Kihyun Park

Kohei Kimura

Leo Robert Buchanan

Levent Safaltin

Lillie Mackensi Richards

London Matthew Kreide

Louis Aiden Augier

Luis Guillermo Sanz Vilches

Mackenzie Paige Keller

Matthew Alexander Margil

Matthew Noah Copes

Max Henry Toher

Maximilian Daniel Piatek

Michael Alexander Cisneros

Michael Anthony Kelso

Michael James D’Amore Billon

Michael Jared Kwitkin

Michelle Yujin Yang

Mincheol Kim

Minhyung Park

Nicholas Joseph Passino

Noah Lane Comans

Octavio Garcia Garcia

Owen John O’Regan

Peter Martin Bogosian

Peter Silva Cuthbert

Seamus Hunter Lyons / The Avion

Photo of a McDonnell Douglas KC-10 as it lands on Runway 25R at Daytona Beach International Airport.

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