Tuesday January 31, 2012
Volume CXXXIII Issue 2
50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24
ANDREW ZABACK/AVION
Costas Sivyllis
Editor-In-Chief Saturday, January 28, began the 50th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. The 24-hour race got underway at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, with a large crowd both in the stands and in the infield deafened by the roar of some of the most famous sports cars. Michael Shank Racing went on to capture the historic win, as the team’s number 60 Ford-Riley Daytona prototype car crossed the finish
line after travelling an average speed of 126.300 mph, and drove 761 laps, which is the equivalent of 2709.16 miles. The Rolex 24 race brings teams from all over the world, who compete in this mechanically and logistically complex race. Throughout the day and night, fans came and went as they pleased. It was not uncommon to spot a race team crew at one of the local restaurants during the race, all of which had the race on television. As the sun set, more campfires started to light up as the infield became filled to capacity with large RV’s, pick-up trucks, and cars.
Fans grilled, cheered, and watched as dozens of cars raced around the whole course. In the infield, the road race next to the grandstands was a popular location to get close to the action. Being one of the nearest spots to the track, the infield brought the opportunity to hear and feel the sound of the high RPM’s and distinct gear shifts as each car passed by. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University junior Justin Dahan, an avid race fan, was very enthusiastic about the race. “The Rolex is a great race everyone needs to attend at least once,” Dahan said,
“You have to love the atmosphere, unlike any other race because it’s happening for an entire day. You can see racing anytime you want. I admire the teamwork, quality, and give a lot of credit to the crews who are working 24-hours to maintain numerous race cars, including mechanics, spotters, drivers, and coordinators, to name a few. The Rolex is definitely 24-hours of excitement!” Daytona International Speedway now gets ready for the arrival of Speedweek and the Daytona 500 NASCAR Race on Sunday, February 26.
ANDREW ZABACK/AVION
THREE PORSCHE GT SERIES cars run three wide around turn three at Daytona International Speedway during the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 race. Unable to draft, these high performance cars raced through the night for 24 hours during a test of extreme endurance, skill, and speed.
Campus
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A2 Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Costas Sivyllis Managing Editor Austin Coffey News Editor Peter Tan Business Manager Alena Thompson Photography Editor Anthony Sekine Advertising Manager Allie Iacovelli
Editorial Staff
Front Editor Costas Sivyllis Campus Editor Johnathan McFarland Feature Editor Angelina Smedley SGA Editor James Scott Student Life Editor Alena Thompson Opinions Editor Karissa Hewitt Sports Editors Austin Coffey Anthony Sekine Comics Editor Floyd Perkinson Entertainment Editor Floyd Perkinson Copy Editors Karissa Hewitt Angelina Smedley
Staff Members Reporters Chris Heale Tim Campanaro Julliet Okeke Photographers Antoine Daugny Richard Weakley Huang Shizhen Jackson Rosario Bonny Thomas Page Editors George Mychawski
Staff Advisor Jessica Searcy, Assistant Director, Programming and Leadership Contact Information Main Phone: (386) 226-6049 Ad Manager: (386) 226-7697 Fax Number: (386) 226-6727 E-mail: theavion@gmail.com Website: avionnewspaper.com
The Avion is produced weekly during the fall and spring term, and bi-weekly during summer terms. The Avion is produced by a volunteer student staff. Student editors make all content, business and editorial decisions. The editorial opinions expressed in The Avion are solely the opinion of the undersigned writer(s), and not those of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Student Government Association, the staff of 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 EmbryRiddle judicial action. This newspaper and its contents are protected by United States copyright law. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in print or electronically, without the expressed written consent of The Avion. Correspondence may be addressed to: The Avion Newspaper, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, Florida 32114. Physical office: John Paul Riddle Student Center, Room 110. Phone: (386) 226-6049. Fax: (386) 226-6727. E-mail: theavion@ gmail.com.
The Avion, January 31, 2012
Navy SEAL Gives An Inside Look Christopher Heale Staff Reporter
On Thursday Jan. 26th the President’s Speaker Series kicked off the spring semester with an engaging look into the world of the US Navy SEALs and global counter-terrorism. The Interviewee was Chuck Pfarrer, a US Navy SEAL himself in the 1980’s, who went onto to be part of the elite SEAL team 6. Chuck had written a new book entitled: “Seal target Geronimo,” which gives an insider’s view on the mission which ultimately killed Osama Bin Laden, as well as a history of the man himself. When questioned on what inspired him to write the book, Chuck’s answer was clear. He felt that politicians had hijacked the story and portrayed the mission as a gung-ho, guns blazing, action movie type operation, which was not indicative of a highly trained and precise SEAL mission. In fact, he felt it was disrespectful and demeaning of a highly trained and professional unit like the SEALs who risk their lives for their country. He believes that President Obama’s original statement was correct and professional, but a case of political Chinese whispers turned the story into a mess of overblown facts and poorly interpreted quotations. The politicians had said there was a 40 minute firefight with a helicopter going down on insertion when, in fact, Chuck says the shooting would have been over in a very short amount of time and if one helicopter had gone down on insertion, a second would never have then landed on the roof of the compound. In his story of events a stealth hawk helicopter made it to the compound undetected and SEAL team 6 jumped onto the 3rd floor balcony, opened the glass doors and rushed down the hallway. After encountering Bin Laden’s brother, the man himself was seen outside a doorway. Bin Laden quickly turned around and was noted as running back into the room and comically slamming the door shut. The SEALs then rushed into the
Richard Weakly/Avion
room, at which point Bin Laden shoved his wife towards them and dived to reach for his rifle. 4 shots were fired; the first shot grazed the wife’s leg, which shows that Bin Laden had dived to the floor and was at waist height, the second bullet missed, and the final two struck Bin Laden in the head and the heart. That was it, Chuck stated the shooting was over in somewhere between 90-120 seconds. When asked about the alliance with the Pakistani government, Chuck described the alliance as “living with a cheating spouse.” He believes that Bin Laden was in Pakistan for the majority of the time the U.S. was looking for him, and our goals for a democratic Afghanistan are not in line with those of Pakistan. Having a democracy next door would likely put Afghanistan in line with India, which would weaken the Pakistani position in the region. With Pakistan and India being two nuclear powers at odds with each other, Chuck feels the situation could easily escalate to be a catastrophic problem in the near future. On the topic of life in the SEALs, Chuck recounts it as being the ultimate meritocracy. It takes 2 years training to be a SEAL and then a further 5-7 years in order to be good enough to even try out for SEAL team 6, which is referred to as “team jedi.” There is even a 60-90% drop out rate in completing
the initial Basic Underwater Demolition (BUD’s) training. However, he recounts the teams as being close enough to be brothers with everyone on a first name basis, and officers never making a decision without consulting every member of the team. He also cites the hardest thing as leaving those relationships behind when he left the SEALs. Grueling planning training was often the order of the day in SEAL life. He recalled commanders throwing a dart at the team’s plans to decide which element would be hypothetically blown up or suddenly become unusable during the operation. This would leave the team having to re-plan and train without that element, and it was done to plan for every eventuality and situation which could arise during a mission. Chuck also paid homage to the professionalism of other special ops teams around the world such as the British SAS and Norwegian FSK, who often work in tandem with the SEALs to share intelligence and carry out complex missions. Finally, when asked what his advice would be for the students in the room who were serving or going to serve in the military he responded with, “Just keep on with what they are doing, they are brave young people who want to serve their country.” The response of which was a spontaneous round of applause from a very appreciative auditorium.
Richard Weakly/Avion
Feature
The Avion,
January 31, 2012
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2012 Republican Presidential Candidates Angelina Smedley Karissa Aponte-Hewitt Staff Reporters The presidential campaign bells are ringing as the 2012 election year starts to develop across the country. State to state, young and experienced voters are closely paying attention to the
continuous race that will begin to become more popular as we come closer to the month of November. The Republican National Convention will be held in Tampa, Florida on August 27, 2012, where they will announce which candidate will be running against President Barack Obama. It will be the 57th presidential election and the chosen President and Vice
Mitt Romney
President will be announced nationally on December 16, 2012. The President and Vice President will be official in January 2013. Candidates from several parties have announced their candidacy as primaries and caucuses are held across the nation. From Democratic to Republican and Independent to Liberalists, the presidential hopefuls are gathering their stand-
Newt Gingrich
Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts and former CEO of Bain & Company is running for the presidential elections to try to win the Republican spot for President. People may remember him from the 2008 presidential elections when he ran against John McCain to win the Presidential candidate spot for Republicans. Romney is a vocal critic of President Obama and he has taken many standard Republican positions on taxes, the economy and the war on terror. Romney is considered the front-runner for the Republican nomination. So far, Romney has come out on top of the primaries by winning New Hampshire and coming in second in both Iowa and South Carolina.
Ron Paul Ron Paul is an American medical doctor, author and later turned Republican United States Representative for Texas. He also represents the Libertarian Party. Paul had the most conservative voting record of any member of Congress from 1937 to 2002 and is named the most conservative of the candidates seeking the 2012 Republican nomination for president. Ron Paul has come in second place in New Hampshire and third in Iowa, which still makes him third overall in the race.
points. As the year of debates and ‘vote-forme, not-this-evil-guy’ commercials swiftly moves along, the students of EmbryRiddle are encouraged to pay attention to the candidates. Who will you vote for? To aid the student body in determining whom they personally feel will serve this country the best, here is a small taste of the 2012 presidential candidates.
Newt Gingrich is an American politician, author and was the 58th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. He is a conservative Republican that stands for his values and his beliefs. When the primaries first started, things did not look so good for him. He started out week in the race for Iowa and New Hampshire, but he came back strong for the South Carolina primary winning a lot of votes to put him on top next to Mitt Romney.
Rick Santorum Rick Santorum is a Republican politician who became a member of the House of Representatives in 1991 to 1995 and then later became a senator for Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007. Santorum holds socially conservative positions on topics like same sex marriages and abortion. He won Iowa by a very little margin against Mitt Romney and came into third place in South Carolina. Right now he is fourth place for the Republican spot for President.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT Progress committee update SGA Page
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The Avion, January 31, 2012
Zach Tejral
Student Representative The ERAU Progress Committee has several projects prepared for the Spring 2012 semester. First, the committee has planned to create a student forum application on ERAU Connection so students can easily communicate with fellow classmates to efficiently organize meetings and study groups. Projects also include the purchase of a printer with colored ink inside the Lehman Building’s first floor Lab, installation of outdoor clocks, improvement of lab hours Currently, the committee is conducting surveys to determine if the color printer
should be stationed in the lab; this is because the COB computer lab is transforming into the new 24 Hour Lab. The third project is to install clocks outside all of major campus buildings; this will allow students to check the time as they are traveling to class. To solve issues with clocks currently installed around campus, the committee is working towards synchronizing all clocks to eliminate time confusion. Another major project is to improve the ATC Lab Hours; this will aid students by allowing more flexible time slots. Therefore, completing required hours will be much easier. Potential progress projects include NFL
Sunday events in the Student Center next Fall, to have the library open 24 hours during finals and to introduce “charging stations” in the Library. The “charging stations will offer areas where students can charger their electronic devices. Spring 2012 is going to be a very promising semester for the Progress Committee! While the committee members work hard at implementing several of these projects, please keep in mind that the Progress Committee welcomes suggestions! Place a suggestion in any of the ‘suggestion’ boxes around campus or on the SGA website! Thank you and have a great week!
Task Force One kicks off Christian Schirra TFO Liason
Are you a First Year Student? Do you want to make a difference? Then join the First Year Student connection to the Student Government Association, Task Force One! Task Force One is responsible for serving as the liaison to many other organizations on campus along with the Student Government Association. You and your fellow colleagues will be able to partake in an organization where the members decide the path to take. Task
Force One creates throughout the course of the semester at least one community service activity and one campus wide social event. Task Force One members will create the entire event, from the planning all the way to the coordination and completion of the project. We are also looking to create a mentoring program where students in Task Force One, whether or not they are an executive board member, will be able to shadow an SGA officer and participate in the same meetings, projects, and collaboration as they do. This is an exciting year for Task
Get to know your SGA
Force One. With the positive response and amazing presence from the Class of 2015, we have been able to create more options for this organization to partake in. If you want to learn the ropes of how things are done here at the university, find for yourself an opportunity to enhance your leadership skills, and collaborate with new friends, then Join Task Force One! Our next meeting is Tuesday, January 31st, in IC 104. Please join; with you we can make a difference! If you have any questions, please contact Christian Schirra at SCHIRRAC@my.erau.edu.
SGA Office Coordinator Are you aware? The Student Government Association offers a service to the student body called The Safe Ride program. Its purpose is to provide students with a “Safe Ride” home if they find themselves in an unsafe situation. On Monday through Friday (6 p.m. -6 a.m.) and 24 hours on weekends, students can access the free, safe ride home. If a student needs a ride outside of the designated Safe Ride time slots stated above, or need a ride other than their home, the charge is $8 flat. This applies if the student is within the geographical boundaries of the program. To those currently aware of the The Safe Ride program, please remember the boundaries have changed recently. The student may receive a safe ride home from Dunlawton Blvd in the south, Granada Blvd in the north, I-95 to the west, and the ocean to the east, to the LPGA International subdivision. A student who needs to cross the boundaries assigned is allowed to pay the flat rate until the boundary is reached, and then the meter must be turned on. To sign up for safe ride, visit the SGA website: sga.db.erau.edu. Always remember, TIP YOUR DRIVERS!
Karen Zhao
Treasurer SFB
Student Finance Board
Junior Aero Sci. Investment Clubs. During his term as SGA Treasurer, Chris plans to continue SGA’s initiative of financial transparency with the release of another financial report. In addition, there will be more overall transparency with a clearly defined set of policies for treasurers to use during budget planning, more advertising for important dates, and easier access to SFB members to get questions answered. He plans to continue to build partnerships between SGA and other organizations on campus in the hope that this academic year will not only bring the highest allocation total ever offered by SGA, but will also be the highest reimbursement session. Chris has an open door policy and is available for questions, opinions, comments, and concerns anytime. Feel free to stop by the SGA office or to contact him via e-mail or phone.
Caroline Day
Get to know your SGA
Chris Dalbora
Christopher Dalbora came to EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University in the fall of 2009 as an undergraduate student studying Aeronautical Science with a minor in Air Traffic Management. After graduating from Lakeland Regional High School in Wanaque, NJ, Chris chose to become a pilot. Now a junior, he currently holds his private pilot certificate with instrument rating and is working on his single engine commercial license. Chris hit the ground running his first semester at Riddle, becoming the Treasurer of Task Force One as well as pledging and becoming a brother of the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity (Pike). Chris then served three semesters as a member of the Student Finance Board before being elected to the office of SGA Treasurer. Currently, Chris also serves as the treasurer of Pike and is a member of the Eagles of the Outdoors and Finance &
SafeRide
Junior Safety Science
Hello! I’m Karen Zhao, a junior majoring in Safety Science with a minor in Air Traffic Management. I am a member of Student Government Association’s Student Finance Board. This spring will be my fourth semester serving as a member. Being a part of SFB has been an amazing. I’ve learned a lot from my previous experiences and I hope to share them with new members since I will be graduating in spring 2012. A little bit more about myself, I love to shop and eat frozen yogurts. I extremely dislike the taste of chocolate and coffee, but I’m addicted to sour gummy candies. I am also a Resident Adviser for A/Wood Hall (Shout out to my awesome residents!), President of Asian Student Union, and Treasurer/Secretary for the Badminton Club. I also work
part-time for the Admissions Office. I have a ton of activities going on, but with good time management skills, anyone can complete their goals and handle the workload. I encourage all first-year students to get involved with Task Force One (TFO). TFO is a great way to hone in on your leadership skills. You’re in charge of projects and events that all of the student body can participate in. Also, it is important to participate and get involved in clubs/organizations you’re interested in. Our campus has an endless amount of clubs/organization that anyone is entitles to become a member of. If anyone is interested in the previously mentioned clubs, e-mail me at zhaok@my.erau.edu. Please feel free to stop by the SGA office anytime monday through friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Student Life Join the Portuguese Become a community founding father Page
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The Avion, January 31, 2012
Brent Wehage
Phi Gamma Delta Headquarters staff from the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, known as “Fiji”, will be on campus January 30 – March 2 recruiting men to become the Founding Fathers of the Fraternity’s newest chapter located at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The recruitment process this spring will be primarily recommendation-based and will involve several informational meetings, casual events and individual interviews. Phi Gamma Delta seeks gentlemen of all class years that excel in the areas of scholarship, leadership and involvement, community service, and athletics. To emphasize the importance of academics, Phi Gamma Delta will provide numerous academic-based scholarships to benefit ERAU students. All men joining Phi Gamma Delta who achieve at least a 3.0 GPA during their initial semester will receive a $250 Academic Achievement Award. During this semester, Phi Gamma Delta will also offer up to $1,000 in scholarships to ERAU men of all classes through its White Star Scholarship. Headquartered in Lexington, KY, Phi Gamma Delta was founded in 1848 at Jefferson College (now Washington & Jefferson College) in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, on the values of Friendship, Knowledge, Service, Morality, and Excellence. The Fraternity has over 8,000 undergraduate members
on 140 college and university campuses throughout the United States and Canada. The ERAU chapter will join several other Fiji chapters in the region at the University of Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida International University and Nova Southeastern University. Since 1848, over 200,000 college men have become members of Phi Gamma Delta. Phi Gamma Delta was also an early leader among national fraternities in the movement to implement alcoholfree housing for its chapters. Phi Gamma Delta offers outstanding opportunities for today’s college students. It seeks to maximize the college experience of its members through academic assistance, leadership development, community service, and gentlemanly conduct. Primary emphasis is placed on scholarship and the development of the individual, and as a result, the Fraternity seeks to compliment the mission of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Phi Gamma Delta is a non-hazing fraternity; new members complete a progressive education period and have immediate leadership responsibilities and decision-making opportunities within the organization. Students interested in this unique opportunity to become Founding Fathers of Phi Gamma Delta at ERAU should contact Field Secretary Adam Whitten, either by phone at (281) 923-3482 or by email at awhitten@phigam.org. Further information is also available on the Fraternity’s web site at www.phigam.org or on Facebook, keyword “Eagle Fiji”.
Daniel F. Morgado LSA President
From the Iberian Peninsula to three other continents, the Portuguese language has been spoken since 409 AD. Portuguese started being spoken as result of the Latin language brought to Iberia in 216 BC by the Romans. All Romance languages are descendants of the Latin language. The collapse of the Roman Empire led to a change of dialects and a separation of nations leading to an introduction of new languages in the Iberian Peninsula. The Galician zone (North of Portugal and Spain) kept the GalicianPortuguese, which is still spoken today, Spain kept the Spanish and Portugal started the Portuguese language. With the discoveries of the Americas, the Portuguese language was extended to Brazil, Angola, São-Tomé and Principe, Cape Verde, Mozambique, East Timor, and the Administrative Region of Macau, a city in the Republic of China which was administrated by Portugal for 442 years. As the years passed and history was made, these Portuguese colonies became independent, and in 1999 Macau’s territory was transferred to the Republic of China. In 1996, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) was formed in order to unite the Portuguese speaking nations, called the Lusophone countries, and make the process of travel easier in between those nations. Orthographic agreements are also an area this organization works on so that every Lusophone nation speaks and writes accurately. This occurs majorly because of the 15% difference in dialect between Portuguese in Portugal and Brazilian Portuguese, such a difference that has
been reduced by an agreement which started this year. The Lusophone Student Association at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was founded on November 2011 at our Daytona Beach Campus in order to unite our Portuguese speaking students and teach Portuguese and the culture of the Lusophone nations to those who have an interest. It is very important to keep the Portuguese language alive as it is currently the 5th most spoken language in the World and still growing. We have many goals to achieve and are currently working to establish relationships with other Lusophone organizations and institutions. I, Daniel F. Morgado, President of the LSA, already started on the process of proposing a language program for our University as a result of student requests. Many Business, H o m e l a n d Security, and some of other major students have indicated that a language program would be necessary for their future careers, which is true for this industry. This is our largest and most important project that has been supported majorly by the Office of Diversity Initiatives from our University. This semester, we will be hosting the first “Noite de Festa” Lusophone Heritage Multicultural Festival. We already have a confirmation of the presence of the “Rancho Corações de Portugal” from Palm Coast, FL, a traditional folkloric dance group from the Portuguese community in that city. We are also looking for anyone who is interested in participating on our show. If you or your organization are willing to give a little bit of your time to participate, please contact us. You can reach us from our Connection page or e-mail me at morgadod@my.erau.edu. Everyone is invited to attend.
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Student Life
SIGN-UP!
Sign Language and Deaf Culture Club
THURSDAYS @ 5:15 pm in COB 290 Learn Introductory American Sign Language Get involved with the local Deaf community All levels of experience are welcome! Contact: Chad Pemberton chad.pemberton@my.erau.edu Connect with us on ERAU Connection!
The Avion, January 24, 2012
Opinions Do This, Get Hired!
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The Avion,
January 31, 2012
Acquiring a real life job could possibly be one of the scariest and hardest things in the world to do. Do not fear, though. There is help out there for us ERAU Eagles! Do not attempt to go down the dark path of employment alone! Many students on campus have recently become plugged into a book called, “College Students: Do This! Get Hired!” by Mark Lyden; the book is gives a look into a new way of getting that dream job, the right way. So, do you think you got the interview thing down pat? Do you think your résumé is flawless? Believe it or not, there are techniques that are incredibly simple you might not have ever though of them!
They can easily aid you into receiving the job or internship you desire to acquire! Mark Lyden’s book, “Do This! Get Hired!” will expose those techniques to you and change your outlook on interviews, resume writing, and many other techniques to get you making THAT salary you always dreamed of. These are just a few examples of how “College Students: Do This! Get Hired!” has helped students here on campus, and it can help you too! So get connected with your copy of “College Students: Do This! Get Hired!” at DoThisGetHired.com/ERAU.html or by visiting Amazon.com. ~Greg Hill
LIZZ HERALD/Cherokee Scout
Will education solve drink driving problems? The United States is one of several countries in the world that has its legal drinking age set at 21. Prior to the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, individual states had set their own laws with regards to the legal drinking age. While each state still has a variety of laws regarding alcohol consumption under parental supervision and in private, most places are fairly strict and consistent in ensuring that no underage drinking occurs in public. For those unfamiliar with the Act, it came about as a result of President Ronald Reagan commissioning an investigation into the drunk driving problem in the US with the recommendation being influenced by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). While people from other countries may laugh at the irony of how Americans can drive at 16, but only drink at 21, they may not all appreciate how frightening driving while intoxicated, or being a passenger of an intoxicated driver can be. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 17,941 died in 2006 as a result of alcohol, making up 40% of all traffic-related deaths. The strict laws against driving under
the influence do instill a certain level of fear into most people and discourages them from driving drunk. The few people who persist in drinking and driving would probably do it regardless of the laws. However, the argument I would like to pose is, would better education benefit society in the long run as opposed to just a blanket regulation? Would better education result in fewer problems even with a lowered drinking age? It is known that underage people tend to binge when drinking, simply because of the fact that they cannot get alcohol whenever they wanted to. The Forbidden Fruit is always more tempting, and the drinking age is a cause. Once you can buy alcohol at will, binge-drinking stops, as obtaining alcohol stops becoming a problem. If the reasoning behind the age of 21 is driving related, educate the youth on the dangers, and offer incentives for designated drivers. People of that age group frequently go out to drink together, so it should not be difficult to find someone to be a driver. Looking elsewhere, if you go anywhere in Europe, you will find a vastly different drinking culture. While most European Nations have the benefit of a developed public transportation network meaning
people do not have to drink and drive, drinking is part of their culture and alcohol is both appreciated and respected. Wine is frequently imbibed with meals, and the purchasing age for beers, wines, and ciders is lower than that for spirits. Countries like Italy do not even have a minimum consumption age, just purchasing ages. I have been to places where the designated driver gets free non-alcoholic drinks for the night, and such incentives from bars and clubs tend to encourage more responsible partying. The high drinking age in the United States also takes away from the college experience, as there is frequently a divide among the campus body of those who can drink and those who cannot, which sometimes causes problems in outings. How many times have you had plans derailed because a member of the group was underage? Places like Newcastle University in the United Kingdom have a bar on campus in their student union building, with the bartenders being your fellow students. It provides a no-brainer place to meet your friends, and the campus as a whole benefits from it, from the jobs being offered to students, to the revenue, and the social dynamics it creates. There is also an ele-
ment of safety inherent to such a setup, as the establishment is within the confines of the school, giving administrators some level of control. Unfortunately, this is one of those chicken and egg conundrums. The legislators will argue that lowering the age will just create all sorts of problems that they wanted to avoid in the first place, but if the age is not lowered, how will the youth get a chance to prove themselves? It makes no sense that you are deemed responsible enough to drive a 2,000 pound vehicle at the age of 16, but you are not allowed to put alcohol into your body until the age of 21. Until there is a change in the culture and legislation, college campuses throughout the United States will continue to face alcohol related problems. ~Peter Tan
Student Forum
What presidential candidate are you planning to vote for? Compiled by Karissa Aponte Hewitt and Angelina Smedley
Brian Hall Senior Aerospace Engineering
Kayle Hadely Freshman Aerospace Engineering
Al Gigante Freshman Aeronautical Science
“I have no idea, serously”
“I don’t even know who’s running!”
“Which one do you want me to vote for?”
Chris Crismia Freshman Aeronautical Science “I personally don’t have a preference on who wins.”
Mohamed Saary Freshman Aircraft Maintenance Science “I’m not a U.S. citizen.”
Africa Transformation Embassy Dr. Regina Asihene 5856 Boggsford Rd. Port Orange, FL 32127 (386) 451 - 6871
P.R.I.D.E.!
People Respecting Identity, Diversity, and Equality
A club for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, and Straight Allies
Advisors: Rachel Silverman rachel.silverman@my.erau.edu Libbie Searcy libbie.searcy@erau.edu
Have you ever wanted to work on a newspaper or just try something different to do???
JOIN THE AVION Staff Reporters, Photographers, and Editors needed YOU to cover the news of Embry-Riddle.
Meetings: Wednesdays at 6:00 in IC 204 President: Rob Stronski Stronskr@my.erau.edu
Visit the ofďŹ ce in the Student Center Room 110 or e-mail theavion@gmail.com for more information
Embry-Riddle Track hits 12 qualifying standards B2
Eagles hold off Gyrenes 82-73 B3
Eagles split two with Warhawks on opening day B3 ANTOINE DAUGNY/AVION
Sports
The Avion,
January 31, 2012
Embry-Riddle Track qualifying standards Outdoor Challenge Michael Pierce
ERAU Athletics Led by a pair of “A” standards from Leon Robinson, the Embry-Riddle Track & Field team posted 12 NAIA Qualifying Standards at the ERAU Indoor Outdoor Challenge on Saturday at the ERAU Track Complex.
In the day’s first event, Nicole Bonk won the mixed 3000m Race Walk in an “A” standard and school-record time of 14:54.19. Kristina Kendrick placed second in the 600m, earning an “A” standard with a time of 1:37.21. Also finishing second and earning an “A” standard in her event was Ellie Staker, who recorded a 2:59.91 in the
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hits 12 at Indoor a minute with an “A” standard time of 14:51.84. In the field events, Reta Woodard established a new school record with an “ A ”
Upcoming Sporting Events MEN’S BASKETBALL Thursday, Feb. 2 @ 7:00 p.m. at Southeastern Monday, Feb. 6 @ 7:00 p.m. vs Florida Memorial
MEN’S BASEBALL Friday, Feb. 3 @ 6:00 p.m. vs Florida Memorial University Saturday, Feb. 4 @ 1:00 p.m. vs Florida Memorial University
MEN’S GOLF Monday, Feb. 6 at BCC Titan Invitational
MEN’S TENNIS Wednesday, Jan. 31 @ 3:00 p.m. vs Ave Maria Saturday, Feb. 4 @ 10:00 a.m. at St. Thomas Sunday, Feb. 5 @ 10:00 a.m. at Barry
WOMEN’S TENNIS Tuesday, Jan. 31 @ 3:00 p.m. vs Ave Maria Saturday, Feb. 4 @ 10:00 a.m. at St. Thomas Sunday, Feb. 5 @ 10:00 a.m. at Barry
1000m. Staker also ran in the 4x800m relay with Kira Ball, Julie Mayfield and Karina Coelha. That team finished in first place with an “A” standard time of 9:26.88. Enckell and Staker later ran in the 4x400m relay along with Kendrick and Breanna Goring, winning the event and posting a “B” standard time of 4:03.22. Robinson won the 60m in a school-record and “A” standard time of 6.87. Shortly after that event, Robinson came back to win the 200m with another “A” standard time of 21.38. Also in the 200m, Jeffrey McClary II (21.84, 4th) and Bryan Ray (21.90, 6th) each posted top-six finishes and “B” standard qualifying times. Evans Kirwa dominated the 5000m, winning the event by over
standard d i s tance of 18.26m in the weight throw, winning the event by more than 3.5m over the second-place finisher. Destini Oglesby also broke a school record with a mark of 11.56m in the shot put. Adam Holdsworth was the final qualifier for the Eagles, registering an “A” standard in the pole vault with a mark of 4.90m. A number of Eagle athletes have established themselves as contenders at a national level, including Woodard (weight throw), Holdsworth (pole vault) and Bonk (3000m RW), each of whom currently own the top mark in their respective events in the NAIA this season. In addition, Robinson (60m), Kirwa (5000m), Staker (1000m) and the women’s 4x800m relay team each own the second-fastest time in the NAIA this year in their respective events. The Blue and Gold will be back in action on Feb. 10 when they travel to Clemson, S.C. for the Tiger Paw Invitational hosted by Clemson University. Photo Courtesy of Antoine Daugny
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The Avion, January 31, 2012
Eagles hold off Gyrenes 82-73 AVE MARIA EMBRY-RIDDLE
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Alison Smalling
ERAU Athletics In a contest designated as the 'Coaches Fighting Cancer Game', the Embry-Riddle men's basketball team survived a late rally from Ave Maria (12-9, 2-6) to top the Gyrenes in Sun Conference action on Saturday. Both teams joined other basketball programs around the country in the fight against cancer and in support of the National Association of Basketball Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness program, both coaching staffs wore sneakers instead of dress shoes with their usual game attire. The win was the 14th of the season for the Eagles (14-8) who improved to 5-3 in league play with the win. The Eagles shot 51.9 percent (28-of-54) from the field and were led by seniors Ray Graham (18 pts) and Blake Touchard (17 points). ERAU also bested the Gyrenes 37-26 on the boards, led by Graham, who had a game-high nine rebounds, followed by Jason Powell with eight and Touchard with six. Touchard also added six assists and five steals while DeForest Carter rounded out the Eagle scorers in double figures with 12 points and five assists. Graham started the scoring for the Eagles with an emphatic dunk on a feed from Touchard just 12 seconds into the contest. From that point, both teams traded baskets until the 12:35 mark when Wendell Powell II made a layup that put the Gyrenes up
9-7. Two possessions later, AMU enjoyed its largest lead of the half (12-7) courtesy of Dycus Juste's three-pointer. After coming up empty on six straight possessions over a four-minute stretch, the Eagles were finally able add to their score when Justin Bozzelli grabbed an offensive rebound and finished the layup. The sophomore followed that with a three-pointer to register the fifth tie of the night with 9:39 left in the half. Another trey by Juste put the Gyrenes out in front once again and they remained ahead until the 3:59 mark when a Billy Serle basket triggered an 11-3 run that gave the Eagles an eight-point (36-28) advantage, and at the half, the home team led 38-33. The start of the second frame saw the Blue and Gold register eight unanswered points, six of which were scored by Graham, to widen the gap to 13 (46-33) with 18 minutes left in the contest. The Eagles maintained a double-digit lead for the majority of the half, but with 1:29
showing on the clock, Dycus Juste hit a three-pointer to make it a 10-point game and that basket started an AMU rally. The Gyrenes got the ball back right after the Juste basket on an ERAU turnover and Matt Chattin got the steal and finished the layup to cut the lead to eight. Chattin was active on the next Eagle possession and after grabbing the steal on the inbounds pass, he converted on another basket to make it a six-point game (72-66) with 1:06 left to play. The AMU surge prompted ERAU Head Coach Steve Ridder to call a timeout and coming out of the huddle, the Eagles got the ball to Daniel Mondragon who went to the free throw line after being fouled by Kiel Lewis. The junior knocked down both free throws to put ERAU back up by eight, but the Gyrenes continued to battle and Akii Dean got a basket and a free throw to narrow the gap to five (74-69) with 49 seconds left. On the Eagles' next trip down the court, Touchard was fouled and the senior scored
twice from the charity stripe to build the lead back up to seven, but once again the Gyrenes got an answer from Dean to make the score (76-71). The Gyrenes employed the full-court press on the Eagles' next inbounds play in an effort to force another Eagle turnover, but Carter threw the ball the length of the court to Mondragon for the easy layup to put the Eagles back up by seven (78-71). AMU wasn't able to score on their next three possessions and the Eagles made four of their last six free throws down the stretch to come away with the win. The Eagles return to the court at 7 p.m. on Monday when they host conference foe Webber International at the ICI Center. Monday's game will also feature a wrapup of Saturday's Coaches Fighting Cancer activities. At the half, there will be a 50-50 raffle as well as a chance for fans to win gift certificates to Vince Carter's restaurant and a pair of sneakers autographed by Ridder and worn by the ERAU head coach in the Coaches Fighting Cancer game.
ANTOINE DAUGNY/AVION
No. 5 Eagles split two with No. 13 Warhawks on opening day EMBRY-RIDDLE AUBURN MONTGOMERY
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Ryan Mosher
ERAU Athletics The fifth-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles opened their 2012 campaign with a doubleheader split against the No. 13 Warhawks of Auburn Montgomery. ERAU fell victim to a walkoff homerun in the opener, losing 2-1, but the Eagles managed a tremendous bounce back victory with a 15-1 decision in the nightcap. Junior Kevin Maloney took the hill for the Blue and Gold in it's first contest, pitching an impressive six innings of three-hit ball. However, he was matched by AUM's Cody Hall, as Hall held the potent Eagle offense to just two hits over 5.2 innings.
A true pitchers' duel, neither team got any runs until the bottom of the fourth inning when the Warhawks took advantage of two Eagle errors on the same play to scratch across their first run (unearned) of the season. Hall was relieved in the sixth by Michael Carden, and the move would prove to be beneficial for the visitors. With just three outs left for the Eagles to extend the game, Carden gave up a leadoff double to senior Chris Page to begin the seventh, followed by a clutch double by Ian MacGeorge, tying things up when Jordan Johnson, Page's pinch runnner, crossed the plate. Callahan Hood got his first hit as an Eagle in the next at-bat, singling to center field to put runners on first and third with no outs. A stolen base by David Belardes, Hood's pinch runner, followed by a strike out set up senior Frankie Arias at the plate. Arias was intentionally walked before Tyler Dent entered for Carden. Dent got out of the bases-loaded jam by inducing a groundball double play to end the inning. Michael Dugan quickly ended the contest when he homered over the left field fence off Embry-Riddle's Robbie Ratliff in the bottom of the seventh, giving AUM the 2-1 victory.
AUBURN MONTGOMERY EMBRY-RIDDLE
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The second game proved to be a nightand-day difference from the first, as the Eagles took out their early-game frustrations with 15 runs on 20 hits to emerge with a 15-1 win. Adam Paulencu started his first game for ERAU and looked impressive, not giving up a hit until the fourth frame. The Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada native faced just 10 batters in the first four innings, striking out four. The Warhawks' starter, Blake Woo, looked good as well until he got into trouble in the third as Embry-Riddle struck for four runs to take the early lead. Adam Cellini started the frame with a walk, followed by a Greg Smith walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. A perfectly executed sacrifice bunt from Tyler Robbins advanced the runners into scor-
ing position for Ben Kline. Kline, a 2011 Honorable Mention All-American, hit a hard ground ball to third base, scoring courtesy runner Jordan Romero, and was able to reach first safely on the fielding error by AUM's third baseman. Page stepped into the batter's box and took the third pitch he saw deep over the scoreboard in right center field for the first Eagle long ball of the year, extending the lead to 4-0. ERAU accomplished more of the same in the top of the fourth, plating 10 runs on 10 hits (one away from tying a single-inning program record), pushing their lead to a commanding 14-0. MacGeorge, Hood, Jeff Lemon, Cellini, Smith, Kline and Page all collected RBIs in the inning. Paulencu surrendered his only hit of the outing in the fourth before breezing through the fifth en route to the victory. Freshman Corey Tufts entered in the sixth and pitched the final two innings for ERAU, giving up one run. 16 Eagles saw action in the contest, with all but one position starter getting a hit. Page went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, MacGeorge was 4-for-5 with three RBIs and Hood finished 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. Seven of the Eagles' 20 hits went for extra-bases, and they took advantage of three AUM miscues.
Entertainment Lycans, Leather, & Kate Beckinsale Page
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Underworld: Awakening
Floyd Perkinson
Entertainment Manager The wait is over; after three years of waiting Underworld has finally returned to theatres. The newest installment of Underworld brought to theatres the same style of movie and amazing special effects that the previous three movies have made standard of the Underworld series. Underworld: Awakening begins six months after the events of Underworld: Evolution and continues the story with the discovery of lycans and vampires by
humans. Since Scott Speedman chose not to reprise his role as Michael in the fourth installment of the Underworld series, the story focused on Selene (Kate Beckinsale) as she wakes up and finds herself in a world that knows about the existence vampires and lycans alike. The new story expounded on Selene’s newfound powers, attained at the end of Underworld: Evolution, and introduced new hybrids to the series. The lycans in Underworld: Awakening have changed their appearance can be seen in the 3D special effects of the film along with the new hybrids. The new lycans in Underworld: Awakening are leaner than their old counterparts; however they still maintained their wolf-like snout with ferocious teeth and their enlarged hands with sharpened claws which can all be seen in amazing 3D detail. Massive lycans, hybrids fighting lycans, silver aerosol, and lots of bullets were some of the most intense 3D effects which filled scenes in the new movie. The 3D effects of the new Underworld were absolutely worth the additional $3.50 in order to see Kate Beckinsale shoot her way through hordes of lycans. Despite the new additions and changes to the Underworld universe, Kate Beckinsale made her way back into black leather for Underworld: Awakening. The stunning 3D effects made the blue within blue eyes of Selene stand out against the black leather body suit and corset, mesmerizing audiences
as she sliced through lycan after lycan. Kate Beckinsale’s 3D outstanding performance in the new Underworld kept audiences at full attention throughout the entire 88 minutes of the film as she skillfully portrayed Selene. The 3D effects brought out the best of Kate Beckinsale, but created a hatred of high density supercooled gas.
Kate Beckinsale’s amazing performance, new story elements, and amazing 3D monster graphics made Underworld: Awakening a movie worth 4.5 airplanes out of five. If the next chapter in the Underworld series and Kate Beckinsale back as Selene allures you, then Underworld: Awakening is a movie worth checking out.
Photo courtesy/LAKESHORE ENTERTAINMENT
Broadway Succeeds Karissa Aponte Hewitt Staff Reporter
New York City bustled around my mother and I as we scurried across 43rd and 8th; dodging taxis we crossed the street. The Al Hirshfield Theatre lit up the crowded block with a 40-foot sign arched above the entrance: the gate to Broadway. The crowd suffered frozen toes and rosy cheeks as the line for the second showing of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying extended down the street and around the corner. Forty-five minutes before show time, the doors opened wide and the crowd rushed excitedly towards admission. The orchestra started their opening number and from the rafters floated down the star of the revived musical, Darren Criss (Glee, A Very Potter Musical). His voiced echoed off the walls perfectly as he hopped around the stage with a young fervor often found in someone whose dreams have come true. An University of Michigan graduate, Criss has gone from a Harry Potter-fandom youtube sensation to a character on the hit television show Glee to H2$ on Broadway, in less than a year.
His prior success is no triumph like his run on Broadway. The 24-year old showed of his singing, acting and dancing skills as Finch, the window-washer turned corporate success via a small book entitled, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The orchestra pit was cheered lovingly after the show as they had played every tune perfectly. Beau Bridges performed excellently next to the young Criss and together they served as a dynamic dou during the tune, Grand Old Ivy, where they flopped about the stage singing and dancing a comedic college fight song. The musical comedy was beyond charming with young Criss behind the role of Finch; he lived up to his predecessor, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter). How to Succeed was the best musical I have seen performed on Broadway and the wonderfully talented Darren Criss will be claiming the role until mid-late January. After his run on stage, Nick Jonas will pick up the helpful business book. If wandering around the hectic streets of NYC anytime soon, or around Spring Break, be sure to stop in and say hello to the window-washer turned business man in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
thursday, february 2 8:30 pm PHOTO COURTESY/ORGANIZATION
ic 101
Alpha Xi Delta Inspiring women to realize their potential
Spring 2012 Recruitment Schedule
avion is in need of reporters & photographers
become part of the team reward:
being part of something that has been here since 1969
**Wednesday, February 1st** Cupcake Wars Student Village Fountain Room 6-7 p.m. Meet all of the Alpha Xi’s while decorating amaXing cupcakes! **Friday, February 3rd** Karaoke Night! Tailgators 9-10 p.m. Come out to Beachside and show off your high notes, or just relax with the AXiD sisters. Contact Carley for a ride!
Carley James
Membership Vice President 863-529-9612 Jamesc5@my.erau.edu
Comics
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The Avion, January 31, 2012
Mystery strength Sudoku! Can you solve them all?
Sudoku
Medium
Easy
Hard
ACROSS 1. Scrabble piece 5. Vipers 9. Wanes 13. District 14. Ooze 16. 3 in a yard 17. Clothing 18. Not fluid 19. Parasitic insect 20. Escargot 22. Automatic transmission of data 24. Jump 26. Seminal fluid 27. A prickly plant 30. Complex in design 33. Art lover 35. Moon of Saturn 37. Butter portion 38. A type of small mammal 41. Pair
42. Narrow fissures 45. Pachyderm 48. Poor handwriting 51. Listlessness 52. Labor group 54. Ripped 55. Courier 59. Exchange 62. Adjoin 63. Everglades bird 65. Nile bird 66. Achy 67. Cut 68. Distinctive flair 69. Leg joint 70. Depend 71. Expunge
Crossword by Mirroreyes
DOWN 1. Makes lace 2. Weightlifters pump this 3. Strictly obeying the law 4. Least difficult 5. Donkey 6. Notch 7. Heaps 21. Strip of wood
23. Encounter 25. Implored 27. Faucets 28. Makes well 29. Estimated time of arrival 31. Possible 32. Yards of grass 34. An uncle 36. Memo 39. A high al-
pine meadow 40. Tidy 43. Members of a governing board 44. Rational 46. Conspiracy 47. Beset 49. Bordeaux and Dubonnet 50. Forest worker
53. Audacity 55. Disguise 56. Black, in poetry 57. Certain 58. Bobbin 60. Found on rotary phones 61. Feudal worker 64. Attempt