Issue 7 | Volume 150 | October 15, 2018
A Campus B Industry and Technology C Sports
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The All-American Homecoming Abigail Johnson Senior Photographer The All American Rejects: a band still spreading the alternative rock sound of the early 2000s nearly 18 years after their formation. “The Rejects,” as they are self-referred, performed for Riddle a second time as the chosen Homecoming artist for the semester. Sponsored by Touch-N-Go, the homecoming concert is always a hit with the student body and the All-American Rejects didn’t disappoint at the annual event. Lead vocalist and bassist Tyson Ritter, lead guitar and backup vocals Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitar and backing vocals Mike Kennerty, and drums and percussion Chris Gaylor have all been around since the studio release of The All-American Rejects album in 2002. The band was formed four years earlier in 1999 by Ritter and Wheeler during their high school career. After their performance, the Avion Newspaper had the opportunity to ask the band a few questions. Avion Newspaper: How did you come up with the name All-American Rejects? Tyson Ritter: I’ll tell you... We were going through the town on a country road. This is a true story. We hit somebody. Chris Gaylor: This is a real guy? Nick Wheeler: I thought it was a cardboard cutout. TR: It’s been 15 years since we, you know, hit and buried this guy... Nick deals with it differently...Anyway, we hit this guy on a bicycle. He’s like there lying in pain, and he screams out, after coughing up several you know sort of like spoon sizes of blood, he’s like “All-American Rejects...” NW: There are actually details in the story that are true, but we will not disclose which details. AN: Okay another question...TR: Is this corporate sh*t? Are we doing corporate sh*t? Just whatever you say, it can’t be corporate. AN: Okay, if you...TR: Fascist! AN: If you weren’t musicians then what other careers would you be interested in pursuing? TR: Really good question. I used to freak out constantly thinking, you know, the run was over. We put out “Swing, Swing” and we had to do it again. And there was a moment where I was seriously considering a job at Blockbuster Video. Mike Kennerty: I went to two nonconsecutive years of college. I don’t know if I had much aspiration to be a human being, so I lucked out. NW: I feel like I would have done really well in typing class, like something where you had to type quickly. I could do that. I never learned shorthand, but I heard they make really good money so I would recommend that career option to anyone out there who’s lost. TR: Gaylor, what about you? CG: Uh, a physical therapist. NW: That’s actually true. TR: Kind of like a pilot. MK: It’s up in the air. TR: Pilot of the human body. AN: Of all your songs, which song means the most to you as a band? TR: Like collectively? AN: What is a song that inspired you? TR: Looking back now, it’s kind of the fun rock and roll song, “Dirty Little Secret,” the way it came together was truly a band... like a band moment. We had this scale of “Dirty Little Secret,” and it was like this twangy country... it was very like acoustic, you know. And then we translated it live in Atlanta and we kept it that way until we got in the studio and all of a sudden somebody was like “Can you guys just fu*king play it straight?” And it fell down the first time exactly like that. And so it was like this moment like, huh, people think too hard... We were like that’s what song you want to push? We were on the “Move Along” team. We were like, well “Move Along” we like and love. “Dirty Little Secret” is kind of like, you know, we like it, but we were afraid of it, you know? The same thing happened with “Gives You Hell,” we were so afraid of it... I can’t explain it...you’re afraid to put it out there because you’ve lost perspective...
THE AVION
A2 Campus
Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Business Manager Photo Editor
Payton Muglia Jorja Gwaltney Nick Hernandez Rajan Khanna Vipul Telang
Page Editors
Cover Editor Rajan Khanna Campus Editor K’AndrewFrance-Beckford Vipul Telang Victoria Jordan Jorja Gwaltney I&T Editor Sarah Fairchild Andrew Bronshteyn Jaclyn Wiley Samy Fooda Payton Muglia Comics Editor Rajan Khanna Sports Editor Vipul Telang Nick Hernandez Connor Strobel Copy Editors Sarah Fairchild Madaline Eitniear Cover Photo: Rajan Khanna
Contributors
Reporters Keenan Thungrakul Connor Strobel Abigail Johnson Jaclyn Wiley Samy Fooda Shashwat Acharya Samantha Stirmel Scott Oakley Michael Weinhoffer Collin Anderson
Photographers Richard Pokracki Joshua Rosado Connor Adair Korbin Martin
Connor Strobel/The Avion Newspaper
After the Expo: Now What? Keenan Thungtrakul Senior Reporter
Staff Advisor
Ronnie Mack Asst. Director of Orientation and Communication
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 Website: theavion.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 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.
You’ve gone to the Expo, you’ve given out resumes, you’ve spoken to recruiters, now what? It is highly possible that you’ve gotten many referrals to company websites and the words “apply online.” While it may seem like a nuisance to you, it’s actually a great way to get your name into the company’s internal system so that they can actually consider you for positions. Unfortunately, the way job searching works here means that it requires you to do a lot of homework. It’s usually a gargantuan competition, as you may be pitted against hundreds, if not thousands of other applicants with similar skill sets. Like a sports game, you have the best advantage when you train hard and train frequently. The applicants with the best advantages are the ones whose resumes are tailored for the job, and who gave a positive impression when meeting with recruiters. The waiting period between
resume and interview invite can be long, but don’t let that discourage you. Keep doing your best, and more opportunities will come. A rejection note may feel like the end of the world, but it really isn’t. You will have another chance. Want ways to maximize your chances? Keep applying and looking for new opportunities. They’ll come in time. What if you received that interview or immediate offer notice? Great! Those preparing for the interview, look at tips from the last article and brose through online articles to help you prepare. Mock interviewing is also a good technique. This allows you to practice behavioral questions with a friend or mentor and get their feedback before you do the real thing. Those doing technical interviews, one thing you can do is look up common questions that employers ask and practice answering them. Don’t beat yourself up if you wind up performing poorly. Those who got offers, congratulations! Now is the time to make the decision of wheth-
er you want to accept the offer or decline it. That will take some serious contemplation, so do not take the decision lightly. Talk with people, especially your family, and get their input before deciding. If you choose to accept, you’ll be heading off into the real world and will be getting genuine experience that will be valuable later on. Those that didn’t get calls, or are awaiting them, be patient. Sometimes you will receive emails from the companies, so just relax and persevere. One thing you can do, if you got the business card of the recruiter, is send them an email thanking them for conversing with you and asking- in a professional manner- about your resume and application. Sometimes things get lost in transit or the recruiter may have simply forgot about it. The recruiters are humans too, so they aren’t immune to making mistakes. It won’t hurt to remind them or ask them about it if you haven’t heard back in about a week. Just remember to be polite and respectful.
Σ Σ Σ’s Farmer’s Market Abigail Johnson Senior Photographer Sigma Sigma Sigma hosted the beautiful farmer’s market on campus this past Friday in the Quad by the Student Center. With the cooler weather and clear skies, the event truly felt like an autumn farmer’s market. From candles to cookies, there were many different vendors and products to browse and enjoy. A few vendors had women’s clothing and accessories along with some cute gift items. With the year slowly coming to an end, one notable vendor sold
hand painted floral ornaments and vases. She expressed they would beautiful gifts for women or mothers this upcoming holiday season and were popular among her customers. Food vendors also attended the market to sell some savory yet inexpensive treats to hungry college students. One woman sold various types of honey from local bee farms while another made candles from goats’ milk. One popular stop in the market was the Drema Bakes Booth. Run by a cheerful baker, this booth offered cakes, cookies, crumbles, pies, cake pops, and so much
more. They also offered some gluten free options of popular items for those with dietary restrictions. With their free samples and inexpensive treats, the Drema Booth was a big hit for the Riddle student body. A small “fruit pop” stand was also featured with some fresh popsicles with numerous fruit flavors. The Farmer’s Market also featured a few ERAU organization booths. The STEM Outreach club sold classic cotton candy to help gain funding for their cause. A few fraternities were selling teams such as donuts for only one dollar a piece.
Weekly Relationship Advice
Dear HumanE Factors, My boyfriend and I have been dating for nearly a year. We get along great and everything seems to be going well. We are both juniors and I could see us having a future together after we graduate. Whenever I’ve tried to bring up the future though, he just says ‘let’s enjoy now and talk about that later’. I know he loves me, because he tells me he does and acts like he does. I love him too, but I can’t help but wonder why he won’t think about our time together after we graduate. It’s making me crazy! Please help me figure this out. This is an excellent time to talk about how we come to understand what love is for us. We all learn about love in many ways: we watch our parents and grandparents, we read books, we watch movies, we talk to our friends, and we are immersed in a culture that is more than a little obsessed with romantic drama. Let’s just point to shows like The Bachelor/Bachelorette, 90 day Fiancé, Married at First Sight, etc. How often, however, do we really think about what qualities make up love for us and how those might differ for someone else? There are plenty of scientists who study love, and in Prof. Frederick’s social psychology class she talks about one theory of love, proposed by Sternberg. He says love is comprised of three qualities: passion (the fire, chemistry, spark), intimacy (the friendship, caring and sharing) and commitment (deciding to choose a partner for the long term). We tend to want to find a love partner that we can share all three qualities with, and when that happens Sternberg calls that consummate love. But what happens if our desired version of love doesn’t involve all three but only 2 of the three qualities? Can’t it still be love? Sternberg says ‘yes’. Some couples may prefer intimacy and commitment, which he calls companionate love. Others might choose intimacy and passion, which is romantic love. I think we can understand those and see them all the time in various people and at various times of life. Perhaps the most unusual type of love is called fatuous love, where you have passion and commitment, but not intimacy. In our culture,
we don’t quite know what to do with that type. If you look at your relationship through this lens, it seems like your version of love and what you desire might be consummate love or at least a version of love that involves commitment. Now take a look at your boyfriend’s life experiences and how he came to understand love. Maybe his version of love involves passion and intimacy and right now that is what he makes him comfortable and happy. He might get to the long term commitment part, but he isn’t ready to go there yet. Most relationship advice would have you discussing this, but ironically, in this case if he isn’t ready for that, a big, hairy discussion about an engagement or marriage or long term commitment, might make him see that as even less appealing. There’s an old saying that Love is either increasing or decreasing. This comes from one of Rev. Keck’s predecessors, Andrew the Chaplain, who wrote a book called On Love way back in the twelfth century. He was observing that relationships do not remain static. Couples draw closer or move apart (sometimes on the same day). We may assume that when we are in love, we’ve reached our goal. We’ve made it! We are both using the “L” word. But this saying reminds us of the permanence of change, for good and for ill. People do fall out of love, especially if they assume that being in loves means everything will be fine. On the other hand increasing the love a couple shares may come easily, or it may require sustained effort, difficult conversations, and even gut-wrenching arguments. Cou-
ples can be in love, and this love can be genuine, but is it progressing, getting more meaningful, becoming more about the kind of commitment that lasts “until death do us part”? You didn’t mention marriage in your letter, but that may be something one of you is – and one of you isn’t – thinking about. Happily ever after becomes a reality because couples work towards making their love increase, not decrease. So what’s a gal to do when every Disney Princess got her Prince and every Jane Austen movie ends in a wedding? If you go with the Sternberg analysis, you really have a couple options. You could break up and try to find someone who is open to the same type of love you want. Or, you could enjoy what you have now, continue to be someone your boyfriend can trust and count on to have his back, and he may begin to feel more comfortable committing as you both approach graduation. The love you share may well increase, but it needs to be something you both want. This is a tough one. Only you know what’s in your heart, what your truth is and what you are willing to risk to either let go or stick with it. Professor Frederick notes, “Right now is one of those times, when I really, really wish I was a fairy godmother so I could bop your beau over the head with my magic wand, and turn him into a commitment-loving prince for you.” Unfortunately real life and relationships are more complicated than that. Whatever you decide, make it the right decision for you and behave with honesty and integrity.
Christina Frederick frederic@erau.edu
Reverend David Keck keckd2@erau.edu Call for Questions: Do you have any relationship questions? You can send an email to Christina Frederick or David Keck, or, if you prefer to keep things anonymous, you can drop off notes for HumanE Factors Prof. Christina Frederick, Human Factors, COAS 4th floor or Chaplain David Keck, Center for Faith and Spirituality. To respect your privacy, real names and identifying details will be eliminated in our responses in the Avion.
This is the sixth edition of a new series at the Avion. Professor Christina Frederick and Chaplain David Keck will be responding to your letters and requests for advice (see sidebar for how to send them questions). They hope to help students develop better interpersonal relationships with colleagues, friends, and significant others. Meaningful relationships, whether they be romantic or with friends, family or colleagues, can be beautiful -- but they can also be challenging. They are here to help and offer a new perspective.
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Campus A3 HumanE Factors
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A4 Embry-Riddle
Richard Pokracki/The Avion Newspaper
Richard Pokracki/The Avion Newspaper
Abigail Johnson/The Avion Newspaper
Vipul Telang/The Avion Newspaper
Keenan Thungtrakul/The Avion Newspaper
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Homecoming 2018 A5
Connor Strobel/The Avion Newspaper
Joshua Rosado/The Avion Newspaper
Connor Strobel/The Avion Newspaper
Vipul Telang/The Avion Newspaper
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A6 Campus True to the Blue 5K
Richard Pokracki/The Avion Newspaper
Sarah Fairchild Chief Copy Editor Saturday morning dawned clear and crisp, an excess of twohundred and forty runners taking advantage of the 67-degree temperatures to participate in the True to the Blue 5K race. Starting on Legacy Avenue, just east of The Union, the run would take participants along a preset course that zigzagged throughout the entire Embry Riddle Daytona Beach campus, before looping back around to end where they had started. After a presentation of the colors by the Navy ROTC and the playing of the national anthem by the ERAU Pep Band, the runners were off. People of all ages
came out in support of our troops, veterans, and law enforcement agencies; racing down the palmlined sidewalk as the band cheered them on with a rendition of the Rocky theme song. Of the participants, Team RWB (Red, White, and Blue) showed up in force, their brightly colored t-shirts spaced throughout the course; their members help veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity. Among the runners were ERAU students and staff, some coming out to run for the fun of it, others making the 3.1-mile trek in support of family members and friends in the force. And not every participant walked on two legs- Caitlyn Jones (a staff
member here at ERAU’s office of the Registrar) partnered up with her four-legged friend, Porter, for the run. “Once we start, she won’t stop until we get home.” Caitlyn told The Avion. This is the dynamic duo’s 3rd race together, Caitlyn herself having run so many 5K’s that she’s lost count. “I loved the course,” said Caitlyn. “It was fast and flat and took you all over campus.” This years’ course was a hit with many of the participants, first time runners and experienced racers alike. At the end of the run, awards were given to the fastest runners of the various categories and age groups. Among the winners were Sofia, Bennet, and Ari Morse of the
Morse family. It was their first 5K running as a family, and they loved it! “We’d definitely do this again.” Ari said with a wide grin. Embry Riddle’s President Butler himself received the thirdplace medal for his age bracket; accepting his prize to thunderous applause. Whether they came for a workout, to support our troops, or both, it was a morning of sneakers, sweat, and smiles. Everyone who showed up to run certainly started their weekend off on the right foot. Overall Winners: 1st – Andrew Shaffer (16:54) 2nd – Bryce Eighmey (17:56) 3rd – Brendan “Neo” Anderson (17:59)
Humans of Embry-Riddle “There have been a lot of recent changes at Riddle this year, and some of them have truly helped me for the better. One of the things that I have really enjoyed is The Union; not just because it has a nice appearance, but because it has many more study rooms and computers than our old two-by-two library. “The facilities are much bigger, and now I’m able to work on my homework and study in some quiet areas. Have you checked out the 4th-floor library quiet room with a stunning view of runway 25R? It has an extraordinary view of the runway, and it is a really nice and peaceful area. “In addition to the spectacular views of the runway from The Union, I recently became a flight instructor, and the view of The Union from the sky is pretty nice. It has been a rewarding experience so far as a flight instructor; currently, I’ve been teaching students pursuing their Instrument Rating. In my opinion, the In-
strument course is the quickest and most fun course in a student’s training, and I really enjoy teaching it. Helping students with holding, partial panel, and approaches can sometimes be a difficult task, but it is rewarding to see a student eventually get the hang of it. Having some experience flight instructing now will be valuable to me next semester when I become a full-time flight instructor.
“I have my senior cadet/technical interview next week before the Industry/Career Expo, and I am looking forward to seeing some of the pilot recruiters again to see if any new updates or ideas are being implemented into their pilot programs. “So far, the PSA Airlines program has presented me with a rewarding experience.
“From having a mentor, to flying up to DCA (Washington Reagan Airport) for a career takeoff event, I have gained many new valuable experiences and skills that I will continue to strengthen and use throughout the rest of my time at Riddle and thereafter at the airlines.” (2nd Floor, The Union)
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I have gained many new valuable experiences and skills that I will continue to strengthen and use throughout the rest of my time at Riddle.
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Samy Fooda Reporter
“After completing my degree in Aeronautical Science, I will be pursuing my MBA while being a full-time flight instructor. I plan to instruct for about a year and a half to two years before heading off to the airlines. At this point, I am unsure of which airline I will settle into, but I am currently in the PSA Airlines cadet program.
Sammy Fooda/The Avion Newspaper
Photo Courtesy: SpaceNews
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B2 Industry ULA to Launch Air Force’s AEHF-4 Comm. Satellite Michael Weinhoffer Senior Reporter
On Oct. 17 at 12:15 AM, United Launch Alliance (ULA) will launch the 4th Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite for the United States Air Force from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The satellite will join three others and provide armed forces of the U.S. and international partners with secure and reliable communication services. The AEHF satellite constellation is a great example of the applications of satellite technology and will benefit troops for years to come. The AEHF constellation will supplement the Milstar communication satellites, which were launched from 1994 to 2003. A single AEHF satellite has greater total capacity than the entire six-satellite Milstar constellation. According to the mission overview provided by ULA, “The system features encryption, low probability of intercept and detection, jammer resistance and the ability to penetrate the electro-magnetic interference caused by nuclear weapons to route communications, real-time video, maps and targeting data to users on land, at sea or in the air.” The first satellite was launched in 2010, followed by two more in 2012 and 2013. The satellites were designed with cost-reduction in mind,
Photo Courtesy: Lockheed Martin
and manufacturing costs have been reduced substantially by the prime contractor, Lockheed Martin. The new six-satellite constellation will provide nearly global coverage, with only the Arctic and Antarctic regions excluded from services. AEHF-4 was originally scheduled to fly in October of 2017, but an issue with a power regulator on the satellite forced a yearlong delay. The satellite arrived at the Cape at the end of July and underwent final integration and fueling activities. Michael Cacheiro, Lockheed Martin vice president for protected communications, said that “Four AEHF satellites in orbit means protected global connectivity for those who need it most, from the president to deployed soldiers.” AEHF-4 will launch on the 551 variant of the Atlas V rocket, which consists of four solid rocket boosters and a large fairing. The spacecraft will separate about four and half hours after launch, which is due to the altitude of its orbit and the procedures required to get it there. AEHF-4 will provide secure communication services to troops on the ground, at sea, and in the air, joining the three other AEHF satellites as a new component of our country’s national security infrastructure. As the ULA mission controllers will say shortly before launch: Go Atlas! Go Centaur! Go AEHF-4!
“First Man” Shoots for the Moon
Collin Anderson Staff Reporter Based off the biography of the same name by James R. Hansen, director Damien Chazelle’s First Man is a gripping film that focuses not only on Neil Armstrong’s accomplishments, but also on his personal struggles. The film captivates audiences, both young and old, with its stunning cinematography, special effects, and historical accuracy. The movie opens with Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) piloting the X-15 on his sixth flight in the aircraft, and successfully yanks the viewer into the jump seat. While this movie has spectacular scenes like the Gemini 8 and Apollo 11 missions, it is also highly personal. Immediately after the X-15 scene, Chazelle shows us the struggle Neil and Janet Armstrong (played by Claire Foy) went through when they lost their daughter, Karen, to a brain tumor in 1962. After he was accepted to be an astronaut, Neil and Janet move to Houston, TX where Janet takes care of their two boys, Mark and Eric. Neil quickly befriends fellow astronauts Elliott See and Ed White, and from then on, it shows Neil’s life up until the end
of Apollo 11. Co-stars Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy deliver a powerful performance in what is probably the next Oscar nominee; if not the winner. Gosling’s portrayal of Neil is that of a man whose sole purpose in life is his work. While most people clock out at the end of their shifts, for Neil, it becomes an unquenchable obsession that deserves no respite. Neil does not let life’s hiccups get in the way, which, in a sense, is his biggest strength and yet, is also his biggest flaw. With fellow test pilots and astronauts dying in positions that could’ve easily been his, Neil is steadfast and has his eyes on his next mission. His unwavering personality hits his household life hard. He becomes detached from his family and is not the same father or husband as he was before Karen died. Foy’s portrayal of Janet breaks the 1960’s housewife social norm. Janet is a supportive wife, but cares deeply for her husbands’ and sons’ well-being. Foy’s acting talent is driven home when Janet makes Neil say goodbye to the boys before his historic flight. In early September, controversy circled the film due to Chazelle’s choice of leaving out the histor-
See It, Stream It, Shun It ical event of planting the American flag on the Moon. The film shows the flag on the Moon, but leaving out the scene of physically planting the flag was an incredibly wise choice as it did not match the tone of the scene. This decision can only be understood after watching the movie. One would think that a film about a
historical event would be spoiler-free: but that is not necessarily true for this one. First Man can best be described as taking the visual effects of Gravity, merging it with the acting and directing talent of Interstellar, and tying it together with the historical accuracy of Saving Private Ryan.
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Technology B3
NASA, Boeing and the SLS The Dangers of CostPlus Contracting
The NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report on Oct. 10 that concluded that poor program management by Boeing and NASA has led to massive program delays and cost overruns in the development of the Space Launch System (SLS). Boeing is the prime contractor for the SLS, which- according to the report- means NASA will be unable to launch by the end of the project launch window. The current acquisition strategy for the SLS is a cost-plus contract, one that the OIG recommended be replaced with a fixed-price contract once the current contractual demands are met.
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Poor program management by Boeing and NASA have led to massive program delays and cost overruns in the development of the SLS
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Multiple contractors are engaged on the SLS project, but Boeing was singled out as the largest cause of delay. Boeing is contracted to build the core stages of the first two SLS vehicles, as well as the Exploration Upper Stage. The first core stage under development has already slipped 2.5 years behind schedule, the OIG reported. The OIG also identified the costplus contracting vehicle as a factor hindering the budget and schedule issues facing the SLS. In a cost-plus contract, all the expenses of the contractor are paid for, as well as an additional payment that allows for a profit. Defenders of the costplus model state that it allows for firms to develop technology that they would not have been able to develop on their own, which is especially beneficial for small firms. Generally, in the cost-plus model, payments to the contractor are made on a regular basis, regardless of progress on the project. This means that the contractee, in this instance NASA, is obligated to pay for slips in schedule. Some critics of cost-plus contracts claim that costplus contractors are incentivized to do their work in a less efficient manner, since the contractor is not financially responsible for the cost of overruns and schedule delays. Unlike the cost-plus model, the fixed-price model requires that the contractor be financially responsible for any cost overruns incurred on the project. In a fixed-price contract, payment amount does not
depend on resources used, nor time expended by the contractor. Fixedprice contracts incentive contractors to hold to cost and schedule. While NASA traditionally uses a cost-plus contracting model, it has used the fixed-price model for multiple projects as well. The most notable example of a version on the fixed-price model in use was in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. In the COTS program, NASA utilized a Space Act Agreement- authorized under its Other Transactions Authority granted in the 1958 NASA Act- that featured fixed-price milestones. The COTS program was initiated to help reduce the negative impact of the retirement of the Space Shuttle on cargo supply missions to the International Space Station. The COTS program led to the successful development, implementation, and use of two separate commercial resupply capsules and launch vehicle systems by two separate commercial firms. The two systems developed were the Dragon Capsule/Falcon 9 system from SpaceX, and the Cygnus Capsule/Antares vehicle by Orbital Sciences (now Northrup Grumman Innovations Systems). In the 2010 NASA Authorization Act, Congress directed NASA to build the SLS, following the cancellation of the Constellation program. The SLS is required by the 2010 NASA Authorization Act to carry 130 metric tons to low-Earth orbit; an amount similar to the Saturn V of the 1960s and 1970s. The SLS will be used to carry astronauts to Gateway, the Moon, and Mars. The SLS is a cornerstone in the current NASA strategy to return to the Moon and continue on to Mars. Delays at this early stage of the process may lead to much larger delays later on, specifically in the Orion and Gateway programs. The Orion capsule, being developed by Lockheed Martin, was designed to ride on the SLS. The Orion capsule will service Gateway, the proposed cis-lunar orbital space station and research platform that will serve as a major component of the part of the plan to return to the Moon. If the SLS cannot launch the Orion, Gateway’s development and crewing may be delayed. The SLS could be a major driver of economic and scientific progress for the entire world, but unless Boeing and NASA can remedy the “management, technical, and infrastructure issues driven by Boeing’s poor performance,” identified in the OIG report, that progress wil be severely delayed, or worse, cancelled.
Photo Courtesy: NASA
Student Impact
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Students at Embry-Riddle could be impacted by the OIG report in a number of ways.
Students here at Embry-Riddle are expected to be impacted by the OIG report in a number of ways. Boeing is a major employer of student interns and graduates from EmbryRiddle, and the schedule delays might impact their future hiring, especially when it comes to space groups. Other contractors tied to the SLS, such as Aerojet Rocketdyne and Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc. may also be impacted, further hurting the job market for Embry-Riddle students.
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Jaclyn Wiley Former Editor-in-Chief
Additionally, the Orion and Gateway programs have multiple contractors, including Lockheed Martin, Bigelow Aerospace and NanoRacks. Delays on the SLS program could lead to delays for Orion or Gateway, hurting the students and graduates’ chances of being hired as interns or full-time employees, respectively. NASA and the Gateway program also offer competitions for students, through which they can earn project experience.
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B4 Industry
What Russia Really Wants
Shashwat Acharya Reporter On October 2, 2018, the packed auditorium was immersed in the illuminating presentation on “What Russia Really Wants” given by Julia Ioffe, a political reporter for GQ and a Fulbright alumnus. Born in Moscow in 1983, Ioffe moved to the United States at the age of seven, fleeing “anti-Semitism” from the Soviet Union. With an undergraduate degree in history, specializing in history, she has worked for newspapers, such as The New Yorker, The New Republic, and The Atlantic, where she covers national security, politics, and foreign policy. The presidential election of 2016 was surrounded amid controversy, with then President-elect Donald Trump as the victor of this extensive and heated race with former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. After former President Obama launched an investigation into this matter, the U.S. intelligence community came to a consensus, highlighted by the following quote from the Director of National Intelligence. “In 2016, Russia conducted an unprecedented campaign to interfere in the US electoral and political process.” In the words of former FBI Director James Comey, “[Russia] will be back.” According to Dmitri Alperovitch, Russian-born founder of Crowdstrike, a cybersecurity firm, Russian interference had been discovered after they had been hired to investigate the hack of the
Democratic National Committee. The fact that the Russians did not take the trouble to hide their traces clearly illustrates their brazen, recklessness attitude towards the U.S. The Kremlin took a bold step in orchestrating one of the greatest political sabotages in modern history, to prevent Secretary Clinton from winning the presidency that would hamper Russia’s interests. On December 4, 2011, Putin engineered the parliamentary elections in Russia using methods such as ballot stuffing and misuse of state resources, to ensure his victory. Many
Russians were outraged at their unheard voices and protests were formed. Normally in Russia, attendance in protests rarely exceed 500 people. So it was shocking to find that an estimated 5,000 people came out to protest that day. Three days later, then Secretary of Sate Clinton advocates for the Russian people, saying “Russian people deserve the right to have their voices heard.” On December 20, 2011, the attendance of the Bolotnaya protests oversaw an attendance of roughly 50,000 people. In the eyes of Putin, protests are
Photo Courtesy: The Kremlin, Moscow
seen as crazy and he sincerely believes that these arrests in the streets of Moscow will ultimately lead to his abdication. As of March, 2018, Putin was legally elected to a fourth term. Having reigned for over 2 decades, Putin’s leave will create an enormous power vacuum in this country with the most billionaires and 20% of its citizens living in poverty. Putin has essentially been kicking the can down the road for somebody new to pick it up. According to Konstantin Malofeev, an oligarch sanctioned by the West, the person to pick it up “will be worse”.
Googling the Perfect Streaming Service Samantha Stirmel Reporter Google is partnering with Ubisoft to try and push the limits of gaming, working to make a fully online system under their Chrome platform. As if the two companies don’t already have a huge presence within the technical community, they are now working together to make their audience even bigger. Who wants to download another software onto their computer that they don’t need when they can just use their browser to play? Say goodbye to Steam and various other launchers that require downloads and purchases all over. Rather than starting with smaller games to try and work
up to a major platform, Google’s research into streaming has led to them jumping headfirst into the gaming world with a major platform: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Project Stream, as it’s called, had open applications for the public to be a part of the beta testing of their software. These few lucky people that they pick will be given full access to the newest Assassin’s Creed game, free of charge. Applicants were expected to have a certain connection speed, as well as the ability to use a keyboard for gaming or a plugin controller to try out the game. When, or if, Project Stream hits the public market for consumption, it will be available to any desktop that has the capability
of running Chrome. Google has been looking into game streaming for a while, with the rumored ‘Project Yeti’ most likely being the infant child of Project Stream. Online gaming continues to symbolize a break from the expensive hardware that breaks most of the banks of Americans. Not to mention the fact that, with an online streaming service, there is never a new console to have to upgrade to for what you want. Google’s past ventures working with YouTube to provide better fps to viewers has led to the internet giant trying to create a no-lag console experience on a web browser. With an action-packed game like Assassin’s Creed, there is no time for buffering when the player is en-
Photo Courtesy: Google
gaged in aspects like battles. The tolerance of serious gamers is extremely low, and Google seems to recognize this by releasing a singular video about Project Stream which is concentrated just on the graphics. In the advertisement, the company was running 1080p with 60 fps and shows a beautiful opening to Odyssey. A bird soaring over parts of the map, a Roman soldier running through the streets of a Greek metropolis, and even controlling a boat in the Mediterranean, the video showcases the launcher being able to take the hustle and bustle of most games right off the bat. In other words, the PC Master Race has a new player, and it is ready.
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia/Gniewko93
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B6 Opinion
An Unpredicted Meeting in the Greatest Oval on Earth Scott Oakley Public Relations Manager Kanye West has never been a stranger to the headlines. A self-made rapper, fashion designer, and cultural icon, Kanye has always been one to speak his mind on anything and everything. While this has landed him in hot water over the years, it has usually been marked up to an eccentric personality, of which there is certainly truth to. However, things changed this year, when Kanye did the impossible; endorsed President Donald Trump. Starting this past spring, Kanye began this cultural earthquake when he expressed support for Candace Owens, a black female conservative speaker who advocates for the black community to not blindly follow the Democratic Party, and instead think for themselves and think freely. This launched a news cycle of people calling on Kanye to reject Owens and stop with the crazy talk, to which he responded by doubling down, and even endorsing Donald Trump for his tendencies to challenge the status quo and not let anyone tell him what to think. Kanye viewed the Democrats as people trying to manipulate and control the way Americans, especially black Americans, think through peer pressure and intimidation, which is evidenced by the tendency to label black people such as Candace Owens as “Uncle Toms”, “coons”, and “race traitors”, who lose their ‘black card’ if they’re conservative. Regardless of political affiliation, it’s a pretty nasty thing to call someone a traitor
to their own race because they don’t agree with you on politics. Since that springtime whirlwind, Kanye has been relatively quiet on politics, until a few weeks ago when he wore his red MAGA hat on SNL, and said he was bullied backstage by producers, who he claimed were begging him to not go out there with it. Then, just this past Thursday, Kanye met in the Oval Office with the big man himself: Donald Trump. Theatrics aside, the meeting was rather unimportant in the grand scheme of things, other than it being a prominent black celebrity who is actually supportive and friendly with President Trump. The important takeaway, however, was the double standard that the left traffics with when it comes to celebrities and politics. It’s no mystery that Hollywood, and just about every celebrity alive, is on the left, and those that aren’t are either silent on politics or have already been forced out of the business (barring country music and NASCAR). The left is then fond of trotting out any and every celebrity they can to make political points, and then expect us as common people to view them with additional credibility since they’re rich and famous and we’re not; therefore, showing that they must know more about life and politics. Whether it’s LeBron James bashing Trump, Anne Hathaway denouncing her white privilege, or Mark Ruffalo saying that white men need to use their privilege to make a safe space for the marginalized minorities, anytime a celebrity gets political the left cheers and points, saying we need to look and listen.
There’s just one problem with this entire idea. Celebrities did not become famous due to their wise, philosophical insights on politics. They’re famous for reasons completely unrelated to politics. And as such, it makes no sense to give their political opinions extra credibility due to their social status; rather they should be judged based on the simple merit of their ideas, the same as everybody else. But the left is not a fan of this idea, and instead thinks that because celebrities are famous we need to listen to them on politics as well, since they are espousing ideas that the left agrees with. This is where the double standard with Kanye is being made obvious. Since Kanye is saying things that the left disagrees with, they are now playing the “celebrities should stay out of politics” card because it suits them. Never mind that, just this week, they were cheering Taylor Swift for her endorsement of Democratic candidates in Tennessee, or Alyssa Milano for her perspective on the Kavanaugh hearings. Because Kanye disagrees with them, listening to celebrities on politics is now unacceptable as he has no idea what he’s talking about, according to the left. Democratic darling Congresswoman Maxine Waters even went so far as to say, “Sometimes Kanye West talks out of turn and perhaps… needs some assistance in helping him to formulate some of his thoughts”. The ridicule of Kanye West didn’t stop there. On CNN, Don Lemon had a panel of guests that claimed “Kanye West is what happens when Negroes don’t read”, and “He’s the token Negro of the Trump administration”. While
Lemon did not make the remarks himself, he was too busy doubled over laughing at the apparent humor of his guest’s remarks to correct them for their overt racism. Then, after 24 hours of criticism of Lemon and his performance, he responded on his show the next day with an all-out tirade against Trump and Kanye, claiming that “Kanye’s mother is rolling over in her grave”. While I think that is going way too far in the critique of Kanye West (by invoking race, mental health, and his dead mother) I do agree that both sides shouldn’t worship celebrities as much as we do. Yes, that does go for how the right has been elevating Kanye too. I know that conservatives are really excited that a prominent black celebrity isn’t afraid to stand up for Trump, but in the end, the same logic holds; he is not famous for his wise political insight, and neither are other celebrities. If a celebrity wants to get political, then they can’t expect to be able to play the cop-out celebrity status card, and we, as people on both sides of the aisle, ought not entertain the idea that they know better than us simply due to this status alone. With all that said, the response to Kanye West’s recent politics has been twofold in actuality. It has beautifully exposed the hypocritical double standard the left takes when it comes to celebrities and their political opinions, but it has just as eloquently exposed the types of character attacks that the left has no shame in pulling out when criticizing their opponents. All because Kanye had the audacity to actually reject the status quo and think for himself.
Photo Credit: Newsday
Connor Adair/The Avion Newspaper
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C2 Sports
Korbin Martin / The Avion Newspaper
Eagles Fall to Seminoles, Tie With Tigers Korbin Martin Staff Reporter The Daytona Ice Arena was packed this weekend. Florida State University, Clemson University, and The University of Florida all came to Daytona Beach for the weekend to kick back, relax, and play some hockey. Our Embry-Riddle Eagles kicked off the weekend with a game against Florida State University. The Seminoles played well, and kept up with the Eagles. The game stayed very even the entire time. The final score was 7-6, with the Seminoles scoring the game winning goal in overtime, but the Eagles and the Seminoles were within a point of each other the entire match. The game had 7 lead changes. After the initial goal was scored by FSU, both teams alternated scoring 2 consecutive points before the other team responded in kind. Embry-Riddle outshot FSU 40-35 in the loss, and Ryan Marks had a hat trick with 1 goal in the 2nd period to put the Eagles up 4-3, and back to back goals in the 3rd period to put the Eagles up 6-5. Kyle Usiak scored a pair of goals, and Brendan barger scored the initial goal of the night. The loss was unfortunate for the Eagles, but FSU rose to the challenge of playing in Daytona, forced overtime, and just happened to be the first
ones to score in a game that was dead-even. It’s a tough loss to deal with, as victory was within grasp, but the Eagles will shake it off and move on. The Eagles squared off against the Clemson Tigers on Saturday night in a very physical game. The Tigers played dirty and got physical, which led to a few brawls, and lots of penalties for both teams. Despite the physicality of the game, the Tigers managed to stay even with the Eagles, and with a last minute goal, the Tigers forced overtime. The game ended in a 3-3 tie, which is quite frustrating, as the Eagles outshot the Tigers 57-39, and were in the lead for nearly the entire game. There were a few instances where the a Clemson player would get physical when the Eagles were starting to put consecutive shots on their
goalie, and forced the game to stop. In one such instance #42 Ryan Marks was a few feet away from the net and about to shoot when a Clemson player decided to put him in a headlock for 10 seconds instead of playing hockey. The Clemson player got put in the penalty box, but the blatant disregard of sportsmanship by him was disgusting. Similar instances with varying degrees of severity happened all night and disrupted the Eagles offense. Despite the dirty play by Clemson, Alex Faller, David Lyttle, and Ryan Marks all scored a goal for the Eagles. All 3 of those guys deserve a lot of credit for scoring against Clemson. The Tigers are very physical team, even when they were playing clean, and they made good shots hard to come by.
The Daytona Ice Arena also hosted the Embry-Riddle Alumni game right after the Clemson game. Embry-Riddle graduates who played hockey for the Eagles while they were here got the chance to get on the ice and play each other and relive old times. It was definitely a fun game, and everyone was all smiles. It was a good wholesome experience after the violent Clemson game. The Eagles will wrap up the weekend by playing the University of Florida on Sunday. That game will be covered in next week’s issue of the Avion, so keep an eye out for it, and make sure to grab an issue off the stands. The Eagles next home game is on November 2nd. The Eagles will be hosting Middle Tennessee State University, so come out to the rink and support the Eagles!
Korbin Martin / The Avion Newspaper
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A Battle Lost, but the War Goes On
Men’s Soccer Loses Homcoming Game to Florida Southern Cole Helman ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle men’s soccer team faced Florida Southern for its homecoming match at the ERAU Soccer Stadium on Saturday night. After a competitive first half that saw ERAU (2-7-1, 1-6-1 Sunshine State Conference) play head-tohead with the Mocs, the Eagles were unable to repeat their efforts in the second half. Florida Southern (11-2-0, 5-2-0 SSC), who is receiving votes in the Top 25, rattled off four goals in the second half after being held scoreless for the first 45 minutes. Neither team was able to gain
an advantage in the first half. Possession was nearly even for both teams, as the squads tried to feel out the others’ defense. Only four shots were attempted by both teams in the first half. Florida Southern’s best chance came on a free kick towards the tail end of the half. The shot from Georg Michajlov curved around the Eagle wall, but it was saved by Gudmundur Sigurbjornsson. ERAU tried to beat the first half buzzer, when Alex O’Brien led the Eagle counter-attack with just seconds left before halftime. It looked like the Blue and Gold had numbers in the box, but O’Brien’s cross was unable to find a teammate.
The Mocs wasted no time taking control in the second half. Pablo Gallo Arias shot found the back of the net three minutes after play restarted to give Florida Southern a 1-0 lead. James Meehan was credited with the assist. Roberto Whitley tried to answer for ERAU, but his header off a corner kick went wide of goal. Minutes later, Florida Southern would extend its lead to 2-0 after a free kick from Claus Lehland set up a header for Daniel Moore. The Mocs did not stop as a shot from Meehan would take advantage of an open net and sneak just across the goal line before the Eagles center back could intercept
the shot. Martin Wall would put the game away with his first goal of the season, as Florida Southern would go on to win 4-0. As time winded down, the Eagles tried to avoid the shutout, but had no luck against the Florida Southern defense. Tim-Frederik Lange had an opportunity to put the Eagles on the board with eight minutes left, but his shot was saved. ERAU was outshot 13-7 in the match. Teddy West led the Eagle attack in shots. The Blue and Gold’s next match is a non-conference affair at Flagler. The game in St. Augustine, Fla., will kickoff at 7 p.m.
Connor Adair/The Avion Newspaper
Cross Country Forges Ahead Men’s
Ryan Mosher ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle men’s cross country team made it a perfect 4-for-4 thus far in 2018 with another first-place non-NCAA I finish at the South Florida Invitational on Friday evening. The Eagles finished third overall with 92 points, behind only NCAA I Florida Gulf Coast and Stetson. ERAU rested several of its top runners and still managed just 92 team points, edging Saint Leo (94) thanks to three runners in the top-15 overall and all five scorers in the top-31. Calahan Warren finished sixth overall, pacing all non-D1 runners, with a time of 27:28.0, followed by teammate Lelei Too in 10th (27:43.0) and Shaun Bullock in 15th
(27:50.3). Brian Cheluget (28:46.5) and Garrett Noltemeyer (28:48.7) finished 30th and 31st, respectively, to round out the Eagle scorers. Also running for Embry-Riddle were Paris Williams (36th - 28:54.0), Drew Hart (63rd - 29:53.4), Justin Nauman (64th - 29:57.2), Bryce Cole (68th - 30:07.0), Austin Epstein (72nd - 30:13.2), John Dennehy (85th 30:55.1) and Bryce Walker (110th 32:50.3). FGCU (53 points) won the 20team field, followed by Stetson (77 points), ERAU (92 points), Saint Leo (94 points) and Florida Atlantic (138 points) went 2-4. Embry-Riddle will finish up the regular season on Oct. 20 when they travel to Hardeeville, South Carolina for the Sand Shark Invitational.
Women’s
Ryan Mosher ERAU Athletics The Embry-Riddle women’s cross country team ran to an eighth-place finish at the South Florida Invitational on Friday evening, finishing as the second nonNCAA I squad at the 20-team event. The Eagles, who rested several of their top runners, totaled 190 points to beat out four NCAA I schools. Kara Funke led the way for the Blue and Gold, finishing 13th overall in 19:09.4. She was the second-fastest non-D1 runner at ‘The CLAW’ with her third-fastest time of 2018. Alex Orr posted best ERAU finish of the season,
coming in second on the team in 19:53.8 (39th), followed by Rachel Jones in 44th at 19:59.2 and Josie Gray in 49th (20:13.8). Maggie Allen in 50th (20:15.9) rounded out the Embry-Riddle scorers, while Ukeyvia Beckwith (78th - 20:55.5), Megan Fletcher (94th - 21:27.6) and Sara Towers (107th - 22:08.5) also competed for the Eagles. Florida International (50 points) won the meet, while Saint Leo (155 points) claimed the non-D1 portion of the event. Embry-Riddle will finish up the regular season on Oct. 20 when they travel to Hardeeville, South Carolina for the Sand Shark Invitational.
Comics and Games
Haha, just kidding, everyone’s already been hacked. I wonder if today’s the day we find out about it.
Finished the crossword or all of the Sudoku Puzzles? The first person to bring the completed puzzles to SU219 wins a prize!