Avion Issue 11 Spring 2019

Issue 11 | Volume 151 | April 15, 2019

A Campus B Industry & Technology

LAUNCH. LAND. RE-LAUNCH. Read more on B2

Rajan Khanna/The Avion Newspaper

theavion.com | (386) 226-6049

THE AVION

A2 Campus

Executive Board

Editor-in-Chief Jaclyn Wiley Managing Editor K’Andrew France-Beckford News Editor Nick Hernandez Business Manager Alex Lee Photo Editor Vipul Telang

Page Editors Cover Editor Rajan Khanna Campus Editors Jorja Gwaltney Madaline Eitniear Victoria Jordan Keenan Thungtrakul John Rachek Industry Editors Nick Hernandez Vipul Telang Andy Bronshteyn Comics Editor Alex Lee Copy Editors Jordyn Taylor

Contributors Reporters Photographers

David Keck Christina Frederick Aakash Rathinam Korbin Martin Karoline Gore Emily Rickel Therese Davis Michael Weinhoffer Saiful Jihad

Jorja Gwaltney Vipul Telang Keenan Thungtrakul Rajan Khanna

Staff Advisor Ronnie Mack Asst. Director, Media & Marketing

Contact Information Main Phone: (386) 226-6049 Business Manager: (386) 226-7697 Editor-In-Chief: editor@theavion.com Managing Editor: managing@theavion.com News Editor: news@theavion.com Business Manager: business@theavion.com Photo Editor: photo@theavion.com

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The Avion is produced weekly during the fall and spring term, and bi-weekly during summer terms. The Avion is produced by a volunteer student staff. Student editors make all content, business and editorial decisions. The editorial opinions expressed in The Avion are solely the opinion of the undersigned writer(s), and not those of EmbryRiddle 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: Student Union, Room 219.

relationship advice

weekly

Reverend David Keck & Dr. Christina Frederick

Dear HumanE Factors, I’m a decent person, but when it comes to relationships sometimes it’s hard at Embry-Riddle. I would like to date, but I haven’t found a lot of opportunities to do so at Riddle. I also am a person of strong religious convictions and I want to wait until marriage to have sex. In the meantime, I find that I’ve been watching more and more pornography lately and it’s like I can’t stop. I know it’s wrong but I can’t seem to stop this habit. What do I do?

Dr. Frederick’s Reply:

is put out there, behaviors that are atypical are believed to be the norm.

Recently, a journal dedicated to Cyberpsychology published a summary of the consequences of over-viewing of porn. The consequences over time include less interest in pursuing a serious, long term relationship and more interest in engaging in less normative sexual activity. These are pretty big consequences so your worry is real.

As you stated, you are a person of faith and it seems you are lonely.

I would advise you to use these two facets of yourself to move beyond your pornography habit. I’m not saying it will be easy – principled action rarely is easy. However, there are also things you can change in your current life so that your attention can be focused less on porn and more on other things. I worked with a horse trainer once who told me ‘you have to make the right things easy and the wrong things hard.’ Become aware of your time and your feelings and how/when they might lead you to watching pornography. Then shake things up - change your schedule, add an activity, volunteer at your church, start a new get together with your friends, study in a more public space where it is harder to watch porn, allow yourself to be away from a phone or tablet at times when you might be tempted – I might even say go on dates with people who might not be ‘the one’. (It’s good practice

and you never know who you might meet). Changing a habit requires you to not only be aware of how/why/ when it manifests in your life, but also requires you to change your routine, so that habit can no longer be facilitated. This isn’t easy, but it’s true and requires patience and effort. As you become more mindful, you will establish more control over your thoughts and your behaviors. That will help you once again act in accordance with your principles.

I also want to assure you that you are not alone in how you feel. Your loneliness combined with the bombardment of sexually themed content in our society numbed your awareness and presented porn as the cure. For others, the same case may lead them to dress in a ‘sexier’ manner with the intent of garnering attention – even if that attention isn’t positive. Yet, another person might develop a sense of self-loathing because he/she can’t achieve the sexy, desirable body promoted in ads and videos. It’s all the same in the sense that we are reacting to external cues and demands to ease internal loneliness or sense of disconnection from others. I’ll leave you with a little quote that I have near my desk that seems to apply here: “Love yourself and be awake - today tomorrow, always. First, establish yourself in the way, then teach others, and so defeat sorrow.”

Chaplain Keck’s Reply:

God will be with them throughout their lives. I remember one Christian who shared with me that he gave thanks to God for his wife after every time they made love. How else could he respond – he was sharing such an amazing blessing with such a wonderful woman!

Traditional wedding ceremonies often include “till death do us part.”

In this view, marriage, love, and sexuality endure beyond passing fancies and one-nighters. In discussing this language with couples, I observe that this means that they are entering into a promise to care for each other through death itself. One will bury the other. Not all romantic couples on campus are ready for this kind of conversation, but it seems like you are the kind of person who wants this kind of meaningful relationship.

You recognize that human intimacy in all its richness and depth includes the intensity of delight as well as the inevitability of sorrow.

Here’s a story that illustrates the power of this view of life, love, and intimacy. A man died, and his wife remained sitting on the bedside quietly holding his hand in hers. She remained with him, holding his hand for several hours. After the rest of his body became cold and stiff, his hand remained warm and supple.

Love can do such things.

From this point of view, the displays of pornography seem dehumanizing, pathetically so. As Dr. Frederick not-

ed, porn entices people by presenting atypical behaviors and making them seem acceptable. Sometimes (often? always?) porn is not about love, but about power. Porn’s thrill comes partly from the lust of sex but also from the lust for power. Let’s be honest, we don’t like being helpless, and we’d rather have power than not. Deep inside is a desire to control situations (and/or people), to be able to do what we want (for good or for ill). Pornography taps into this and offers illusions that satisfy this craving.

But does dominating another (violently or not) make us more human?

In my tradition, we receive marriage and sexuality gratefully as things which can help us complete our humanity. (We also recognize that some are called to a life of celibacy, but that does not seem to be your calling.) The next time you struggle with pornography, consider whether watching Person A doing THAT to Person B will help you develop your humanity. Remaining committed to your beliefs will help you deepen your humanity. Putting aside short-term stimuli for things that endure can help you develop your awareness that your heart will be a beautiful to offering another person when the time is right.

You are not alone. Others share your beliefs and recognition of the spiritual dimension of sex. Don’t worry about feeling weird – trust that when you say “I do,” you will be worthy.

Oh my, who opened this can of worms…or should I say ‘who opened this Internet site?’ In all seriousness though, this is an important question and one that deserves discussion. In reading ‘decent person’s’ question, there are several different concerns that jump out at me. The first is that you sound lonely, which could be contributing to your perceived problem. The second is that your viewing of pornography conflicts with your religious faith. The last is the porn habit you’ve developed, including the sense you have that it is slipping from your control. All three are related to getting you to the place you find yourself in.

From an objective viewpoint, pornography and sexually nuanced programming (e.g. tv, videos, movies, etc.) are everywhere. From a marketing standpoint, ‘sex sells’. So, it is hard to exist in the present culture without explicitly or implicitly being affected by this. However, from your question, I assume you are looking at or watching porn on sites dedicated to this pursuit. These sites supply a never-ending array of videos from amateur to professional dedicated to every different sexual predilection. Just realize, a significant proportion of the content posted on these sites is devoted to practices that are not typically the norm for sexual behavior in a relationship. However, because of what As Dr. Frederick noted, you are not alone. There are many students on campus – both religious and non-religious – who want to wait until marriage to have sex. Many are looking for meaningful relationships, and they don’t like it when someone they are dating starts wanting physical intimacy. For some, it is a matter of religious principles. Others recognize that they are not ready for something as powerful and life-altering as sex.

They are frustrated that the “default” assumption among their peers seems to be that everyone is wanting to have sex and that they, therefore, are the weirdos.

You don’t mention which religion you practice, so I am going to speak from the point of view of my own religious tradition – mainline Protestant Christianity. The world’s religions take marriage and sexuality very, very seriously, so I’m guessing that these comments may well apply to you as well.

When I advise a couple before presiding at their wedding, we develop the wedding ceremony together. One of the things we discuss is that marriage and sexuality are instituted by God for human wellbeing.

Although Christianity has often taken a very negative view of sexuality, the tradition also recognizes the joy couples share. During the wedding, we give thanks to God for bringing them together, and we pray that

THE AVION

Campus A3 Channeling the Fire: How to Handle Your Anger Aakash Rathinam Correspondent Anger is an emotional response to a real or imagined threat or provocation. Anger can range in intensity from mild irritation to extreme rage. Anger is not necessarily a “bad� emotion. Anger makes people feel strong and powerful, which can motivate them to stand up for what they believe is right.

The American Revolution, the civil rights movement, the feminist movement, the gay rights movement, and many other causes probably benefited from anger and the resultant willingness to act. Anger can also motivate people to excel in sports and other domains in which it is beneficial to take a competitive stance.

However, anger can also motivate people to stand up and fight for things that may be trivial or ill-advised. Indeed, the overwhelming majority of murders committed in the United States are due to unchecked anger.

Angry people seem to act first and think later. No doubt Thomas Jefferson's advice to count to ten or even a hundred before speaking while angry is aimed at giving people time to reflect on the consequences of their actions and possibly avoid impulsive, destructive acts that will be regretted later. For example, angry people often spout off hurtful comments to loved ones that they cannot later retract.

We all become angry, and most of us do not like the feeling. The question is how to get rid of anger, or at least reduce

it. Stuff it down. One standard approach to deal with anger is to hide it. This approach is endorsed by most societies. This approach can prompt people to stuff their anger deep inside and repress it. But there is some evidence that this is a costly strategy. Several studies have shown that stuffing anger inside can have negative consequences, such as increasing the risk of illnesses such as heart disease. On the other hand, if people try to hide their anger, some anger might be diminished.

Express it. A second approach to deal with anger is to express it.

This view treats anger as a kind of inner pressure or corrosive substance that builds up over time inside the person and does harm unless it is released. Catharsis theory, which can be traced back

through Sigmund to Aristotle, is elegant and appealing. Expressing anger must be done in a careful and thoughtful way, sometimes the very way of expressing it can vaporize the positive intentions in it. As far as the students are considered, anger expressed in a positive manner can channelize the potential on a task and make them work better.

Anger management is not a difficult subject to learn or practice but it is a mere skill that we all eventually learn. The difference lies in the method we choose. A healthy method of anger management will put the rage to good use and motivate the victim to perform better. In college life, students may come across many testing situations, but this is also the best time to figure out the method.

37th Annual Military Ball Recap Korbin Martin Reporter On April 6, 2019, the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Eagle Battalion conducted their 37th annual Military Ball.

Over 300 people attended the ball, which was hosted by Eagle Battalion's Professor of Military Science, Lieutenant Robert C. Moyer. The purpose of the ball was to build esprit de corps among cadets, cadre, and special guests, while also familiarizing the cadets with basic knowledge of Military Ceremony and Etiquette.

Overall, the 37th annual Military Ball was an overwhelming success.

The food was delicious and using the Mori Hosseini Student Union as the venue was very convenient.

The event started off with a receiving line. This was followed by the posting of the colors which was done by Eagle Battalion's Color Guard team. After the colors were posted several toasts were made. There was a toast to the Army, to the President, to Bethune-Cookman University, to Stetson University, and to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The final and most important toast was a silent toast to fallen, missing, or imprisoned service members following the missing man table ceremony.

One fallen Eagle is 2nd Lieutenant John Vaughan, who gave his life during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Mosul, Iraq in 2006. John Vaughan graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and was assigned to the 172nd Stryker Brigade in Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

He was posthumous-

ly awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Eagle Battalion keeps his spirit alive, and awards one cadet every year with the 2nd Lieutenant John Vaughan award. This years recipient was Cadet Preston Stephens.

Once this was completed, the Cadet Leadership for the 2019-2020 Academic Year was

announced. This year, the Eagle Battalion was lucky enough to have Colonel John M. Ferrell speak to the cadets.

Colonel Ferrell originally commissioned as an Aviation Officer, out of Embry-Riddle's Army ROTC program. He also came back to serve as an Assistant Professor of Military Science at Embry-Riddle

later in his career. Currently, Colonel John M. Ferrell is the Director of Simulation at the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence located in Fort Rucker. Colonel Ferrell gave a great speech, with the perfect balance of humor and seriousness. This speech inspired the cadets to always be the best versions of themselves.

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A4 Campus

Opinion: Personal Wellness Keenan Thungtrakul Staff Reporter When was the last time you asked yourself “How am I feeling?

Am I feeling well?” In a busy world, these moments of checking in with ourselves can be scarce. But these opportunities should not be taken for granted. Taking time to check in with yourself is probably the most important thing you do each day. It allows your mind to refocus and relax from all the hard work you put it through trying to make the most out of your education and tuition dollars. Trust me, I feel the same way. We invest in our education and work hard, but it is important to keep up with our personal well-being too. This can comprise one of seven categories: physical, social, intellectual, emotional, environmental, occupational, or spiritual.

Housing and Residence Life (HRL), in conjunction with the Wellness Program and the Counseling Center, hosted a wellness exhibit to promote awareness of the importance of keeping up with your personal well-being. A key component of the exhibit is the positive atmosphere created by the Housing staff when they turned part of the Village Atrium into a dance floor. The staff knows how to have fun while working, and that is an integral part of enhancing your well-being. I find that I am in a happier mood when I have opportunities to have fun in the midst of work.

If I can let my creative side show in work then I am bound to produce better results since I care more about it than if I had to adhere to a strict set of procedures.

In cases where such opportunities are rare, it is important to remember to take timeouts to check in with yourself and take inventory, asking yourself “how am I feeling?” Your mood highly impacts your outward actions. Kunle Ajao of HRL made the point clear: “your personal wellness affects your performance.”

Wellness fluctuates with time and circumstance. We see it throughout our lives. We feel well when things are going the way we like them. We feel upset or stressed when things turn sour. Maintaining your personal wellness is key to enduring the ups and downs of life.

It decreases your risk of complications later on, not just physically but also mentally. If you ever had a traumatic experience, you know full well the truth of this statement.

Maintaining wellness starts with a personal inventory, assessing yourself in each of the seven categories. I find it helpful to write down thoughts in a journal, then looking at the whole entry to get an idea of your current state. HRL provided students with a “wellness wheel” inventory a personal assessment that rates each category on a radar plot. The farther your rating is from zero, the better off you are

in that category. There are plenty of online resources on the wellness wheel, so do some web searches if you’re curious. HRL chose four topics to highlight: physical, social, intellectual, and emotional.

Physical Wellness A healthy body means a healthy mind. This stems from the idea of loving yourself and being happy with yourself. When your physical body is feeling good, chances are your mind is also feeling good.

Resident Advisor Alyssa Crystal

Social Wellness The idea of social wellness can be summarized in one question: am I feeling optimistic or pessimistic today? With optimism, you think more positively about things. The opposite is true with pessimism.

A motto I’ve told myself over and over is “always think positive.”

Life throws you many curveballs, tests, and trials. It’s easy to fall into the trap of pessimism and think that you’re not going to make it through. But with the right mindset, you will be able to put forth

Jaclyn Wiley/The Avion Newspaper A “wellness wheel,” which acts as a tool for students to inventory their personal wellness.

Keenan Thungtrakul/The Avion Newspaper Physical exercise is an important part of a person’s overall wellness.

summarizes the idea in that “staying in shape and being fit is important.” How many times have your parents told you that routinely exercising is important for you? Here it is again. The point can never get stressed enough.

Walking or cycling to and from classes is a great start.

Being committed to regular exercise requires discipline and effort. As an engineering student, I know how hard managing your time is. In spite of that, I still carve out time for fitness classes, weekly workouts, and leisure walks and bike rides. By staying on top of your physical fitness, you are doing your mind a great favor too.

Take it from someone who has succeeded in classes and seen the fruit of their labor.

the effort required to succeed.

The key to developing that mindset is to garner support. Your network of friends and family is a perfect start. People who care about you will want to support you, so it is important you stay in touch with them. You want to be able to trust these people to help you when the going gets tough, so effective communication is key. HRL staff member Tyler Sutton put it this way: your communication must be clear, precise, and kind.

While you’re talking with someone, be sure to actively listen too, as the other person may be seeking support too. The “you’re not alone in this struggle” cliche often comes up, but it’s easy to get lost in its overuse than to see the encouragement within. The

message gives reassurance, reminding you that other people are facing similar problems like you.

Often we try to hide our struggles from others behind our screens.

But social media is also a platform where you can reach out to your friends for support. Just don’t do anything stupid and unintentionally expose something you keep dear to yourself.

Intellectual Wellness An article published in last week’s issue talked about how to avoid over-studying. This is important to your intellectual wellness, the health of your mind. An HRL member choosing to identify only as “Kat” said intellectual wellness is analogous to studying without breaking your mind. To avoid over-studying, last week’s article recommends breaking up your studying into three-hour periods with at least an hour and a half break between sessions.

This enables your brain to process the information and store it.

When you’re not studying, maybe you like playing a strategy-based game. These types of games help train your mind in analytical and spatial reasoning. Reading is another way to keep your mind active. Maybe it’s a series of news articles, a leisure novel, or writing your own.

Emotional Wellness When was the last conversation you had with a friend that was more than a simple “How are you feeling?” The topic of emotional wellness is not just about how are you feeling, but how you are feeling deep inside. HRL staff member Patrick MacKinlay spoke about stress management, coping with loss, your circadian rhythm, and counseling resources.

I know full well how it feels to get stressed out, but it is important to not let that stress dominate you.

Find go-to stress relief methods you can utilize to calm yourself down and refocus. Even better, make it a priority to practice regular stress relief activities that will keep your emotional and mental health in check. For example, I engage in weekly meditation on Mondays with a group at the Center for Faith and Spirituality and weekly yoga class on Wednesday evenings at the Fitness Center.

Just the practice of deep breathing is enough to start relaxing, but ideally, you want to mentally let go of the things that are stressing you out and refresh your mind.

Another important part of emotional wellness is sleep. Yes, sleep is important. Your body runs on what is called a circadian rhythm. It goes to sleep at a certain time and wakes up at a certain time. Maintain a regular sleep schedule, and your body will thank you for it.

For additional resources, stop by the ERAU Wellness Center.

THE AVION

Student Life A5

Testosterone & Pilot Health Karoline Gore Correspondent Having adequate testosterone levels is important for all students, but some pilots in particular should be particularly vigilant of their levels.

A study by MG Leedy et al found that Air Force pilots on routine flying missions on fighter type planes had lower testosterone levels than those flying cargo planes. The study reveals how the stresses of flying affect testosterone and point to the importance of keeping stress levels in check.

Why are Healthy Testosterone Levels Important for University Students?

Waning testosterone levels may normally be associated with middle age and beyond, but if you are a university student, take note: testosterone is key for many important functions, including the sex drive - so you’d best make sure yours is within healthy levels.

In a CNN report called “Low Testosterone or Male Menopause No Longer Just for Older Men,” psychotherapist Ian Kerner noted that many of his young male patients had low testosterone levels. Pilots on stressful missions have a particularly high risk of having lower testosterone levels, which is something all students and professional pilots should be aware of. Low testosterone can have many effects on your health, wellbeing, and life as a college student.

Testosterone for Better Brain Health and Memory Studying to be an aeronautical engineer undoubtedly makes big demands on your memory and stamina Whether you have an end-ofyear exam or on-the-spot tests, you need to stay sharp, and keeping up testosterone levels can help you achieve this goal.

As noted in University Health News, the male brain is heavily dependent on testosterone for healthy function, and a sharp decline can result in impaired brain function. Indeed, in older men, low testosterone is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s. Indeed this problem may not affect you until decades later, but keeping your brain healthy should begin in youth. Data compiled by Harvard Men’s Health Watch, for instance, showed that there is a vital link between high testosterone levels and improved tissue

Photo Courtesy: Shutterfly

preservation in some areas of the brain.

Testosterone and Sleep Your study of aeronautical engineering will involve both theoretical and practical aspects and if you are planning on piloting a plane, sleeping well is key, since it will ensure you have the focus you need.

A study by scientists at the University of Montreal has found that “dwindling testosterone levels affect sleep, not vice-versa.” Sleep deprivation raises accident risks, affects your working memory, and impairs your ability to concentrate.

Mood is Affected Too As a student, you want to ensure your mood is stable, to enhance your academic and social life. Testosterone has been found in numerous study to improve mood and, in some cases, lessen fatigue. Low testosterone, on the other hand,

ERAU Wellness Center

Building 500 (Across from Doolittle Hall)

Health Services

Counseling Center

Phone: (386) 226-7917 Hours: Mon-Thu 08:00-17:45 hrs, Fri 08:00-16:45 hrs, Closed Weekends

Phone: (386) 226-6035 Hours: Mon-Fri 08:00-17:00 hrs, Closed Weekends

Services offered: • Evaluation and treatment of illness • First-Aid and follow-up care for injuries • Diagnostic services, on-campus or by referral • Medical grounding for flight students • Equipment loan (crutches, splints, ice packs, heating pads, etc.)

• Over-the-counter medications • Wellness exams • Nutrition counseling • Self-help box with common healthcare items (ointments, creams, thermometer strips, band-aids, etc.)

• And more!

Services offered: • Mental health counseling • General professional counseling when self-help is not enough • Secure, supportive environment for addressing private student concerns • Eight (8) free counseling appointments per semester • Educational programs, activities, and presentations • Therapy dog, Peppino • Referrals for long-term counseling or other specialized services • Assurance that information shared between counselor and client is confidential.

• And more!

is strongly linked to depression - so much so that it is sometimes suspected when patients do not respond well to treatment.

Testosterone replacement therapy has been found to have a moderate antidepressant effect when compared to placebo. However, it is not indicated for everyone, so it is important to see a specialist if you suspect you may have low testosterone levels.

How Can You Boost Testosterone Naturally?

Younger students and pilots may not need medical treatment, but there is no reason why they can’t aim to boost your testosterone levels naturally. Studies have shown that exercise (focus both on aerobic and strength workouts) can help. This will help you stay at a healthy weight.

One study published in Clinical Endocrinology found that young obese men can have up to half the testosterone as men in a healthy weight.

Also, aim to follow a balanced diet. Junk food and big weight fluctuations can interfere with your hormonal balance. As mentioned above, you should also make sure to sleep the required hours. A University of Chicago study showed that men in their 20s who were sleep deprived had 15% lower daytime testosterone levels.

Keep Stress at Bay Intense flights can be a source of regular stress, but if they are causing anxiety, panic, or sleepless night, it is a good sign that stress is getting the best of you. Stress is not something you can just ‘relax’ away. It should be tackled through mindful practices (such as meditation or yoga), exercise, and relaxing routines such as a warm bath before bedtime. Even practicing breathing exercise for just a few minutes a day can bring down cortisol (stress hormone levels) - and that is good news as far as testosterone is concerned.

If you have insomnia, you notice changes in your sex drive, or your mood is down, talk to your doctor about testosterone. While young men generally have healthy levels of this hormone, their levels can be affected by poor lifestyle choices, including sedentarism. Try to stay active, keep stress levels down, and enjoy a good night’s sleep. Your mood and vitality will thank you for it, and you will find that your focus and concentration will sharpen.

YOUR PROFESSOR! Who do you want to see get “Pi’-ed?

Brought to you by Pi Tau Sigma

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Campus A7

STEM Outreach Makes Successful Impact

Emily Rickel Staff Reporter

STEM Outreach, an ERAU student-led service organization, recently completed one of its most impactful days on record.

On April 12, 2019, student volunteers planned and participated in three community outreach events that spanned over 13 hours during the course of the day, from 8:30 AM to 11:00 PM. Volunteers took part in a school visit at David C. Hinson Middle School, followed by an activity with the John H. Dickerson/Daytona Beach Boys and Girls Club, and spent the night providing interactive demonstrations during the Astronomy Open House.

What is STEM Outreach?

STEM Outreach focuses on mentoring local K-12 students through community outreach and instruction in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). They aim to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals by making STEM fun and accessible to students of all ages.

“The events that STEM Outreach regularly participates in are incredibly important to our community, and I myself find these to be highly valuable learning opportunities for my own children to attend,” explained Claudia Ehringer Lucas, STEM Outreach Faculty Advisor.

STEM Outreach’s Community Impact: Volunteers from STEM Outreach worked with six periods of 7th and 8th-grade students at David C. Hinson Middle School. 7th-grade students completed an activity that reinforced the concepts of evolution, natural selection, and adaptation. They were given different utensils, such as forks, chopsticks, and tweezers, and asked to pick up as many skittles as they could with each utensil. This activity provided a fun and interactive way of demonstrating how different traits can influence the amount of prey that predators are able to capture. 8th-grade students had a blast learning about Earth/ Space Science by interacting with the Amateur Astronomy Club’s sun telescopes and STEM Outreach’s gravity well.

At the Boys and Girls Club, volunteers demonstrated principles of electricity and circuits by having students interact with STEM Outreach’s Makey Makey kits and squishy circuit dough. The Makey Makey kits turn everyday objects into keyboards that can be used to control a computer. The kits work by connecting a computer to the Makey Makey board, which is connected to conductive materials through alligator clips. STEM Outreach connected fruit to the Makey Makey to create a one-ofa-kind controller that could be used to play video games. Students at the Boys and Girls Club were also

able to design their own circuits by manipulating malleable, conductive dough. These squishy circuits were connected to batteries and the kids had a great time putting small LED lights into the dough.

During Astronomy Open House, STEM Outreach again showed off their Makey Makey kits, which is always a big hit with all age groups.

Volunteers also helped the local community build their own sundials using paper plates and pencils.

The group also sold cotton candy at the event to help raise money to purchase materials for future events.

STEM Outreach is excited for their upcoming event at MidiCi Italian Kitchen in One Daytona on April 16. They will also be hosting a Science Demonstration Night where they will provide fun and interactive ways of learning about circuitry, density, and conductivity. At this event, volunteers will be placed at various stations, where the local community can interact with homemade lava lamps, squishy circuits, Makey Makeys, and spaghetti/ marshmallow towers.

STEM Outreach’s Campus Impact: Not only does STEM Outreach impact students within the local community, but they also impact the ERAU students who plan and volunteer for the events. "Working with everyone was amazing. The parents, teachers, and kids were

so excited about the activities and ready to learn more. Hearing the kids talk about what they learned and their hopes to be engineers and scientists was the highlight of my week,” reflected Rose Moskowitz, a Freshman in Mechanical Engineering who participated in all three of the April 12 outreach events.

“Volunteering at local schools around the community and at organizations like the Boys and Girls Club is the best part of STEM Outreach for me. There is literally nothing cooler than to hear kids, the future of humanity, get excited about science and engineering. That's why we do it. I love this club,” praised Emma Bucey, a freshman in Human Factors Psychology who also volunteered during all three of Friday's outreach events.

Overall, STEM Outreach provides valuable learning opportunities for everyone involved. The organization had a very successful year with their community outreach efforts, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down. STEM Outreach is expected to be one of several student organizations recognized during the Student Involvement Awards Ceremony on April 18.

Interested in learning more about STEM Outreach? Contact erau.stem.outreach@gmail.com to learn more about volunteer opportunities or to discuss ideas for a future event.

Student Employment Week 2019 Therese Davis Director of Student Employment

Top Performers

This week universities across the United States celebrated Student Employees. National Student Employee Appreciation week is a time to recognize the outstanding contributions and achievements of students who work while attending college. Here at Embry-Riddle, we have 1200 students that work on campus and even more working in the

local community.

This is all in addition to keeping up with their studies and extracurricular activities.

The Student Employment office hosted a dinner for 20 of Embry-Riddles finest student employees on April 4th. The event was to announce the winner of the Student Employee of the year award. In attendance were the nominees, the supervisors that nominated them, our judges, and a guest speaker, Ken-

1st Place: Nicholas Lopac

Nominated by Ryan Kobrick of the Applied Avia-

tion Sciences department

2nd Place: Eric Fee Nominated by Mack Dickson of the Aviation Safety

department

3rd Place: Andriy Kovtun

nominated by Marshall Tetterton of the Aviation Maintenance Science Department

ny Corbin, Director of HR Operations.

After dinner, a game was played where the nominees each won a door prize donated by a local business. The evening ended with the announcement of the winner.

On behalf of the staff and faculty, we want to say ‘Thank You!’ to our student employees for their hard work and dedication. The University could not function without our student assistants!

Also Nominated

Carlos A Baker nominated by Deborah Michaud Sadie Cook nominated by Tony Petro Shuaiyuchen Fan nominated by Roger Sonnenfeld Ashlyn Farwell nominated by Dr. Rita Avinger Tarra Keating nominated by David Keck Jason Lam nominated by Mary Chilson John Lash nominated by Jennifer Brashier Brooke Linendoll nominated by Claudia Ehringer Lucas Yunxiao Liu nominated by Dr. Sandy Branham Vinayak Lolla nominated by Elizabeth Truax Brittany Morgan nominated by Idira Diaz Hailey Mumpower nominated by Brian Powell David Pequeen nominated by Kesley Rodgers Garrett Renn nominated by Janine Foster Victoria Rutenbeck nominated by Farahzad Behi Sky White nominated by Rosa Criado

This is the first physical photo taken of a black hole. This photo was obtained by using eight telescopes across the globe and patching them together in a network called the Event Horizon Telescope.

Photo Credit: NASA, CXC, Villanova University, J. NEILSEN

THE AVION

B2 Industry

The Hunt for Life Continues An Update on NASA’s Mission to Saturn’s Moon, Europa

Michael Weinhoffer Senior Reporter In 2023, a rocket will launch from Cape Canaveral that will send a spacecraft on a mission dedicated to the study of Jupiter’s fourth largest moon, Europa. Along with Enceladus and Titan, moons of Saturn, Europa may harbor some form of life, especially in its subsurface ocean. The spacecraft, called the Europa Clipper, will be the first orbiting spacecraft that looks for signs of life on another planetary body. The mission may be followed by a Europa lander, which would increase the possibility of finding signs of life on this unique and beautiful moon.

Europa is slightly smaller in diameter than the Earth’s moon, and its surface is covered in water ice.

There is a strong likelihood that there is a global ocean underneath its surface that may contain twice as much water as Earth’s ocean.

Europa may also be home to hydrothermal vents, which are underwater fissures that release heated water and organic chemicals into the ocean. Earth’s ocean contains hydrothermal vents, and they are the perfect breeding grounds for small organisms. Confirming the existence of hydrothermal vents on Europa would therefore be another indicator of potential subsurface

life. Unfortunately, due to Europa’s proximity to Jupiter, it is blasted by Jupiter’s radiation, so exploring the moon is a challenge.

Most of our data on Europa comes from the Galileo spacecraft, which studied the Jovian system from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. However, the Europa Clipper will be the first spacecraft to perform a dedicated study of the moon. The European Space Agency is also developing a Jupiter system explorer, called the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), which will launch in 2022 and study three of Jupiter’s largest moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and of course Europa. Although JUICE will likely launch before Europa Clipper, it will arrive at Jupiter a few years later because of its planned trajectory.

The Europa Clipper will carry nine scientific instruments to Europa, including two cameras. The spacecraft will carry an ice-penetrating radar and an instrument that will analyze solid particles ejected from Europa’s surface. In March of this year, NASA announced that one of the instruments, ICEMAG, will have to be replaced with a less complex version because of technical complexity and cost overruns. ICEMAG is a magnetometer, which is an instrument used to study magnetic fields. A less complex mag-

netometer will still be able to help explore Europa’s ocean, including determining its salinity and depth.

The good news is that a prototype of the spacecraft’s primary antenna is currently undergoing testing at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia.

Despite its distance from the Sun, the spacecraft will be powered by two large solar arrays instead of a nuclear-powered generator, such as the one onboard New Horizons.

Due to technology advancements, solar arrays can power spacecraft farther from the Sun than ever before, which reduces NASA’s dependence on plutonium fuel, which is in short supply. Because of the high-radiation environment of Europa, the spacecraft will orbit Jupiter instead and perform multiple fast flybys of the moon. This will allow an intense study of Europa without major radiation damage to the spacecraft.

The most pressing issue regarding the Europa mission is deciding which rocket the spacecraft will use to get to Jupiter as soon as possible after launch. NASA budget authorizations approved by Congress mandate that Europe Clipper fly on NASA’s much-delayed Space Launch System (SLS) in 2023. SLS will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world when it debuts in 2020, and the most basic version

of the rocket can carry the spacecraft to Jupiter in three years. All other spacecraft launched to the outer solar system have used one or more gravity assists to reach their final destination. By flying close to a large planet like Jupiter, spacecraft gain velocity without expending fuel. If the Europa Clipper is launched on SLS, no gravity assist will be used, which will greatly reduce the time it takes for it to reach Jupiter and overall mission complexity. However, NASA’s new goal of returning humans to the Moon in 2024 complicates this arrangement. Since SLS is only designed to launch once per year, the number of flight opportunities between now and 2024 is limited, so NASA wants to make the most of each flight. If the spacecraft is launched on a commercial rocket instead, there would be another opportunity to fly astronauts on SLS after the first crewed mission in 2022. A rocket such as the Falcon Heavy or Atlas V with a solid-fuel third stage could launch Europa Clipper, but it would have a longer journey because of the required gravity assist. No matter how long it takes to get to Europa, the Europa Clipper mission will shed some light on the greatest question humans have pondered: are we alone in our solar system?

Falcon Heavy: Arabsat-6A Vipul Telang Photo Editor On Thursday, 11 April 2019, SpaceX made history by successfully launching Arabsat-6A, the first commercial satellite to fly onboard Falcon Heavy. The communications satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, is the first of two satellites planned in the Arabsat-6G program.

Arabsat-6A will provide television, internet, and telephone communications to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

After SpaceX scrubbed the first launch attempt on Wednesday due to high upper-level winds, the 27 Merlin engines roared to life at the top of the launch window on Thursday, pushing the 3.1 million-pound rocket towards geostationary orbit at 6:35 p.m. The second stage pushed the satellite into a nominal trajectory thirty-four minutes after liftoff.

SpaceX successfully landed all three boosters, which marked the first successful recovery of the boosters. The two side boosters touched down on Landing Zone 1 & 2 on the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, while the center core successfully landed on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You.” SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced on Twitter that the successfully recovered payload fairing will be reused later this year, a first for the company.

This was the second successful launch of Falcon Heavy. Last February, SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy Demo Flight from LC39A. Elon Musk’s personal Midnight Cherry Red Tesla Roadster was used as the dummy payload to demonstrate the capabilities of the world’s largest currently operational rocket.

Arabsat-6A, weighing at 6,460 kg, was technically able to be launched on a Falcon 9 rocket instead of the Falcon Heavy, but the booster would have been fully expendable. Using the Falcon Heavy allowed the satellite to be put into a more precise orbit, as well as allow more parts of the rocket to be reused.

With the flawless execution of the launch and landing, SpaceX has proved that Falcon Heavy is ready for other commercial launches. This could not come at a more opportune time for the company, especially on the heels of NASA Director Jim Bridenstine’s announcement last month. The US government was considering launching the Orion Capsule on a commercial rocket instead of the Space Launch System.

With some modifications, the Orion capsule could be fitted onto the Falcon Heavy.

SpaceX plans to launch the next Falcon Heavy in June, carrying STP-2 for the United States Air Force as well as other smaller satellites.

Vipul Telang/The Avion Newspaper

Side booster reigniting for the landing burn towards Landing Zone 1. The flame is partially green due to triethylaluminium and triethylborane (TEA-TEB) compounds in the igniter.

Jorja Gwaltney/The Avion Newspaper

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is home to thousands of species, including this Common Tern, which was startled from its perch by the launch of the Falcon Heavy.

THE AVION

User Experience B3 In Over My Head

What Aviation Headset Should I Get?

UX Corner

What car should I get? Which new iPhone do I upgrade to? What kind of bag should I buy? These are some of the questions college students may ask before they start their college career, or even during their college career. As an aeronautical university, with student pilots being part of the population, another question may pop up What kind of headset should I get?

Like most college classes, there is not a lot of personalization allowing a student to express their personality in the classroom. The same goes when it comes to being a student pilot when flying an airplane that’s not yours, with instruments you did not customize and to pre-approved destinations you did not choose.

While all of this is in the name of safety, there is always a way that we want to stand out and express ourselves. That’s where the choice of a headset comes in. It’s one of the more frequently used personal equipment that pilots use, between communicating on the intercom with their instructor or other pilots to requesting and accepting instructions from air traffic controllers.

What is an aviation headset?

Aviation headsets are used by pilots to communicate with each other in the cockpit, with other airplanes, or with air traffic controllers (ATC). They're different from your common headphones because they are used to both communicate between people and suppresses the engine noise and wind that may overload the input that may damage your hearing. In addition, these headsets, along with the avionics (the communication system) installed in the aircraft, has a squelch function that suppresses unwanted signals, like disturbances in the air that may interfere with the receiving and transmission of messages. It helps clarify transmission and reception for the pilot to be able to talk and hear clearly. Aviation headsets come from many manufacturers including but not limited to Lightspeed, Bose, Clarity Aloft, and ASA. What can aviation headsets offer?

While the basic function of a headset is to communicate with ATC and other people inside the cockpit, newer headsets offer bluetooth or auxiliary connectivity, allowing pilots to connect their phones and use the headset as a hands-free device.

Some headsets also offer an active noise reduction (ANR) technology to suppress external sounds, like the engine noise, which allows the pilot to hear audio from the headset more clearly. Like most devices, there are a lot of options to choose from and with various price tags.

Saiful Jihad is a student 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.

What headset is most popular among ERAU students?

We looked at the headset choice among some pilots on campus to get a better understanding of the user experience behind this important piece of equipment.

Thirty-two students completed a survey on their headset choice, and Bose (50%) came out as the most mainstream headset choice, followed by David Clarks (30%), while the remaining choices were evenly spread among other brands like Clarity Aloft (2%), Lightspeed (1%), Faro (1%), Rugged Air (1%) and ASA (1%).

Saiful Jihad/RUX Lab

Distribution of aviation headsets owned by ERAU student pilots

It’s no surprise that Bose may be the most popular since it is one of the top names in audio systems.

Bose recently stopped support for their former Bose X headset and is now focusing on their A20 and proflight products. While we did not ask the specific model, it is more than likely that the Bose population would have the A20s, due to its brand popularity and its headset features. We also were interested in the reasons that influenced what headset to buy and whether it was bought new or used. Seventy percent of the respondents stated that they bought their headset because a friend/colleague/family member recommended it to them. Thirty percent said that they bought it for a feature that their previous headset did not have.

Which features are the most important?

ERAU student pilots said that Comfort and Active Noise Reduction (ANR) were the most important factors when purchasing a new headset. Comfort features of the headset include the fit around the

Saiful Jihad/RUX Lab

Most important features when buying a headset, according to ERAU student pilots

Saiful Jihad/RUX Lab

The Bose A20 (right) is an example of an over-the-head headset. The Clarity Aloft (left) is an in-ear pair. They both come with carrying pouches

head, the clamping force the headset provides, and how the two characteristics affect the pilot over time. While a sturdy and heavier pair can last longer, it may not be as comfortable for the frequent flyer.

ANR provides an added noise canceling feature by using negative noise that levels off external sounds.

In this case, the engine noise that may hinder listening to the radio over the aircraft's loudspeaker.

Repeated exposure to loud noise can also damage an individual's hearing, so having ANR is an investment for students, especially those who are looking at flying for their long-term career. It's settling that upcoming pilots are thinking about their future over price. Size and weight are large factors that would determine how and where the headset is carried by the pilot.

While some headsets come with a carrying pouch, pilots still have the option of using that pouch or stuffing it inside their flight bags, which can be a variety of sizes. It's actually surprising that Bluetooth connectivity is the least considered option. It may be due to the higher price tag that Bluetooth capable headsets come with, but that may change in the near future, since personal devices like phones and tablets may opt out of the audio jacks.

We also asked respondents to provide positive and negative feedback about their particular headsets. While we didn't pinpoint the feedback and the brand, Comfort and ANR was still the most common recurring theme. A David Clark owner felt that their headset had "all the good stuff that the Bose A20 has", which includes ANR, Bluetooth and how lightweight it is. Another David Clark owner admitted that their headset "works fine so I can't change to new one". On the other hand, a Bose owner felt that "the stigma of owning A20s" is something that they considered. The Bose A20 with Bluetooth capability is, after all, the most expensive aviation headset available at $1095.95. One of the respondents summed up the important factors by saying "Noise cancellation is a must, plus a rigid microphone boom, quality microphone, and overall adjustable but sturdy headset band are important to me" when looking for a headset.

Student pilots were also asked

whether they use their headsets for activities other than flying. Aviation headsets can be bulky and have long wires that may not be suitable for everyday use, so it wasn't surprising that 20 respondents (63%) stated that they did not use their headset for any other activities.

8 respondents (25%) stated that they use it to listen to music, presumably with the aux input or Bluetooth connectivity. 5 respondents (16%) admitted that they use it for gaming, which includes flight sim.

It's heartwarming to know how serious the students are about their training that they keep the realistic feeling of flying when playing a simulation game with their headset.

One respondent specified that they also use their headset for band activities, which may be because of the noise canceling abilities of aviation headsets.

Conclusion While the Bose came out as the most popular, it is clear that there are many factors to consider when buying an aviation headset. Even though the Bose has ANR, is light and comes with a carrying pouch, it may not be very affordable. Lightspeed offers similar features with a lower price tag, while David Clark offers a sturdier option. Clarity Aloft offers in-ear headphones options that lack the ANR, but they are very light and can be used with sunglasses. Instead of having an overthe-head cup that clamps around your sunglasses, the in-ear option can provide better mobility. Before you think about getting a new pair of headset, consider what it is you need, and what problems you currently have. Ask around, and try out your friends' headsets first and see what they say. Remember that the headset becomes one of the most personal devices that you have in the cockpit, so make sure it is the best choice for you.

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