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Spring Break cancelled

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Spring break has been removed from the Florida Tech spring 2021 academic calendar in response to COVID-19.

An explanation for the change and revised academic calendar were sent out to the Florida Tech community in a Sept. 25 email on behalf of Marco Carvalho, executive vice president and provost at Florida Tech.

The email states that the removal of spring break “will promote community health by reducing spring travel while also maximizing instructional time.” 

The shift has also affected the date of graduation for spring 2021, which will now take place on May 1. While fall commencement exercises have been moved online, it has not been announced if the spring ceremony will take place virtually or in-person. 

Adjusted dates in the academic calendar:

Last day of classes – April 21

Study days – April 22-23

Final Exams – April 26-30

Commencement – May 1

Florida Tech ROTC’s atypical summer

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While college students’ summer plans often consist of vacations or summer classes, Florida Tech Army ROTC students had another atypical break.

They completed rigorous training camps and
internships, traveled with cultural programs and attended specialized schools like Airborne School or Air Assault School.

Isiah Mossiah, a senior studying molecular biology, completed advanced camp at Fort Knox in Kentucky.

The camp was a 31-day training course Mossiah described as “a culmination of our previous three years of ROTC training.”

Cadetcommand.army.mil states that the mission of advanced camp is to assess a cadet’s potential to serve as a commissioned officer. It lists highlights of the training event, including first aid, a field leader’s reaction course and tactics training.

Mossiah said that cadets are put into platoons of 40-45 people, and are constantly evaluated by cadres—the officers responsible for the training of cadets.

He discussed field training exercises, explaining that the first is cadreled, while the others were completed independently for purposes of evaluation.

They also completed road marches of up to 12 miles.

“You have a 35 pound ruck on your back, and you have to make a certain time requirement,” Mossiah said.

He added that many exercises are pass or fail, and that cadets must pass to continue in the course.

Cadets are ranked at the end of the training.

This ranking influences their placement in the Army later on.

Mossiah said the training gave him valuable experience in communication with a diverse group.

He said it gave him the opportunity to compare and contrast his leadership skills with others, then use that to communicate more effectively across a group.

Sergeant First Class Arsenio Rodriguez, a military instructor with Florida Tech Army ROTC, said cadets completed summer training in Africa and South America through the Cultural Understanding and Leadership Program.

According to cadetcom-mand.army.mil, CU&LP
completely immerses cadets into another culture, improving their cultural awareness.

“They get to work with cadets that are in the same role as they are, but just in a different country, and they get to experience a day in the life of how they function and what their training consists of,” Rodriguez said.

He said some cadets attended Airborne School, a three week course which includes military parachutist training.

Others attended Air Assault School, a 10 day course which Sergeant First Class Jeremy Brandon, a military instructor with Florida Tech Army ROTC, described as “physical and mental.”

“You learn all about the capabilities and limitations of all the different rotary wing aircraft,” Brandon said.

goarmy.com states that the course is designed to prepare soldiers for missions that call for the use of transportation and assault helicopters.

Brandon said he thinks the biggest benefit of summer training is the real-world experience, where cadets are able to apply the theory they have learned, and “work through problems in a way that you can’t really simulate in a classroom or laboratory environment.”

He said these concrete experiences prepare students for the responsibility and depth of knowledge required of a lieutenant before they are commissioned into the Army.

Going forward into the fall semester, Rodriguez said cadets will gain more out-of-classroom experience in field training exer-
cises.

“They get to spend two nights out in the woods,” he said. “It lets us evaluate them as leaders and how they perform under stress.”

The field training exercises are planned for the first week of November.

Staff member exploring motorcycle leasing possibility

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Faculty members at Florida Tech have recently looked into motorcycle dealerships around town that offer leases for students in need of transportation.

The main vehicles they looked into were electronic and gas-powered scooters, as well as motorcycles.

The discussion occurred about a month back according to David Beavers, an electronic lab manager.

Beavers wanted to find an affordable solution for students without personal transportation on campus.

“There are at least five companies in town that offer gas and electric scooters and bikes at relatively low cost to students,” Beavers said. “This is something the sustainability folks would be interested in, especially the electronic motorcycles.”

However, since this would not be a program run by the school, students would still be responsible for getting their own motorcycle’s license and corresponding insurance.

Students around campus such as Diego Gonzalez, a junior in mechanical engineering, agrees on this idea being brought to light.

“If I knew about this when I was a freshman, I could’ve saved a lot of money by not having to buy a car,” Gonzalez said. “I definitely recommend any incoming freshman or student without a vehicle to make the investment if they have the money to do so.”

Gonzalez also mentioned how motorcycles are much better on gas, as the insurance is usually lower.

Additionally, it is easier to find parking spots around campus.

However, students such as Jake Gaier, a senior in business, said this could potentially turn into a bad idea for an inexperienced motorist.

“I’ve been riding dirt bikes and motorcycles for most of my life, and in my experience, I’ve met unlicensed motorist who ride better than people with motorcycle licenses,” Gaier said. “I think if students who have little to no experience on these bikes start leasing them to use, it could result in a lot of accidents around campus if they’re not careful.”

Gaier suggests that students who don’t have the experience of riding motorcycles should first start out on scooters, due to them being cheaper, having less power and being a little safer.

If you’re interested in leasing a motorcycle or scooter, places such as Space Coast Harley Davidson, Suzuki Motors and Honda of Melbourne are a few places to start.

Geneva show highlights electric vehicles

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The Geneva International Motor Show is one of the world’s most important auto shows in the first half of every year.

This year’s event, which began March 7, kicked off with an arrangement of new model launches and the latest concept cars.

The 2019 GIMS theme seemed to be electric, hybrid and high horsepower automobiles.

The event debuted some of the world’s most powerful and expensive production vehicles.

Beyond the outrageous cars for the ultra-affluent, the show also displayed mainstream cars aimed the global market, although many of the cars may not make their way to North America anytime soon.

Boasting the world’s most expensive production car is the The Bugatti Voiture Noire, for which the buyer paid $18.5 million.

It’s a one-off luxury touring car with an 8-liter quad turbo W16 engine with 1,600 hp (100 hp more than the $3 million Bugatti Chiron).

That should be good for driving it well past the Chiron’s 261 mph (420 km/h) top speed.

Bentley also represented well, regaining the title of World’s Fastest SUV, according to a Bentley press release.

After achieving this with the 2016 Bentayga reaching a top speed of 187 MPH the Lamborghini Urus then achieved a top speed of 189.5 MPH.

The British automaker says its new all-wheel-drive Bentayga Speed SUV can reach a top speed of 190 miles per hour, which just barely edges out the Lamborghini Urus.

Both SUV’s start around $200,000. Mazda has revealed the CX-30 SUV. Sizewise, it fits midway between the CX-3 and the CX-5 that, on their own, were 50 percent of Mazda’s 2018 US sales.

The CX-30 could reach the US in late 2019 or 2020.

The Honda Urban EV has now been revealed under the new name “E Prototype.”

The new Honda Urban EV, named as E Prototype for 2019.

The E Prototype sits on a new, dedicated platform for electric vehicles.

Honda claims the car will be capable of 120 miles on a single charge but hasn’t confirmed the size of the on-board battery.

A single electric motor on the rear axle drives the car, but Honda has yet to issue any performance figures.

Project leader Kohei Hitomi indicated the E Prototype will not be a budget vehicle.

In an interview with AutoExpress, he said, “Cost is an important factor. Look at the iPhone: They are not cheap products but still everybody wants them.”

“The high cost has a justification,” Hitomi said. “It is full of practicality and performance – we believe the same of our electric vehicle. We do not want to provide a low-cost product.”

With the majority of the world’s premier automotive manufacturers representing themselves with many new releases, there were a few manufactures missing from the line up: Ford, Jaguar-Land Rover and Volvo were a few of the absent.

A Ford spokesperson explained to Autocar that they “looked at all the things we had to do in 2019, and we’ve got a lot of stuff coming.” The spokesperson said the Geneva showcase timing didn’t “meet their requirements.” “

Rather than go to Geneva with relatively small news, we would rather do something later that would give us more bang for our buck,” the spokesperson said. “I don’t anticipate this will be a regular thing, though.”

As for Jaguar-Land Rover, they are going through a bit of a stagnant period due to the tariffs in China.

A spokesperson explained to Autocar, “We are implementing a turnaround plan and taking all the necessary steps to rejuvenate our business especially in China. This involves working closely with our sales network and balancing production with demand in the present market conditions to achieve healthy development for our future that is not unduly dependent on incentives.”

The 88th GIMS will continue until March 17, with auto enthusiasts anticipating a successful year for powerful electric vehicles.

New bike rack location receives criticism

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A bike rack was recently installed in the lower level of the Colombia Village parking garage, taking up two parking spaces.

The new bike racks have taken up two parking spaces at the Columbia Village parking garage. Photo by Marc Kenneh.

“We’re going to have to tear those out of the ground, I mean, it’s just dumb,” SGA president, Jace Petrowski said.

Mitchell Spalding, the chairman in charge of the Signature Programs Committee, said there was no consultation or discussion with students before the racks were placed.

Vinai Balroop, a freshman that lives in Roberts Hall, said, “It’s stupid, there’s already I high demand for parking in the garage and a lot of the freshmen that live around there have cars so I don’t know why they would take way two spaces.”

The only communication came in the form of a PSA from SGA Vice President Baylee Keener after the installation.

In the email PSA, Keener stated, “We have received many questions about the new bike racks in the lower level of the Columbia Village parking garage. Those bike racks are where the new bikes will be kept in order to keep them looking new and safe from any rust so that we can continue our bike program without having to keep buying new bikes.”

Petrowski, said that he is trying to see where the miscommunication was and that the racks weren’t supposed to be in a parking spot.

Spalding was responsible for the bike rental program.

“I didn’t advertise enough to students about the placement of the bike racks and I apologize,” Spalding said. “Hopefully in the future, should they be moved or should there be a petition for them to be moved, I’ll be willing to hear ideas from students about where to move them.”

Spalding said that it was cheaper and easier on the SGA’s budget to put the new bikes under the garage, rather than buy an awning for the old uncovered racks.

Rayne Parker, a transfer student also living in Colombia Village, said, “I feel like they were unnecessary. They could have definitely found better placement.”

Aside from the controversial placement of the bike rack, the program seems to be doing well otherwise.

“They are available for students to rent for free. We’ve actually rented out about half already in the first two days of its creation,” Spalding said. “In our agreement with Infinity Bike Shop, the bike shop will come out and maintain the bikes and give us discounts on replacement parts.”

The bikes are available to rent for free through a form on Panther Prowl.