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Florida Tech introduces new esports director

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Arianna Schuck | Staff Writer

Dana Hustedt, the new director of esports at Florida Tech, will be coming to campus in March. 

She was first introduced to the world of esports in 2014, and worked at Grand View University as the esports director for the past four years.

Hustedt said her friend group in college was big on gaming, and from that experience, she saw it as a business opportunity. 

“I know how to run events and tournament management, and was able to apply those skills to the esports industry,” Hustedt said. 

Hustedt started the Grand View esports program in 2017 with about four students. The program grew to include nearly 50 students in 2020, where they competed in five different game titles.

“I have been pioneering a lot of the collegiate scene for a few years now, and I’m very excited to get to Florida Tech,” Hustedt said. 

Hustedt recalls having a conversation about building a strong foundation for esports with Florida Tech back in 2019.

Hustedt said that there will be a gaming facility for campus and community engagement, which can hopefully be an esport destination for Florida and beyond. 

“It’s going to be a great tool to help current students build their gaming passion and career path,” Hustedt said. “I am very passionate about that and making sure everybody gets into the community and helps give back.”

The main objective is to first establish varsity, JV, and supported titles for the program, which can lead to building club and community engagement. Hustedt explained that this will foster K12 inclusion. 

Photo by Soumil Kumar from Pexels

William Branca is the student director of esports at Florida Tech.

“I want to build us into the destination for esports in the southeast,” Branca said. “With our new facility opening in the near future, and our new director of esports, Dana, I have no doubt that we can accomplish this.” 

According to Bino Campanini, the senior vice president of Student Life, the esports program first started off as a small organization. After conversations with administration and SGA, Student Life came to realize that there was more interest than what was expected.

“My next step was to see if we could actually facilitate a better place to do this, and that’s why we secured the Ruth Funk Center,” Campanini said.

According to Campanini, the original plan to renovate a few rooms in Evans Hall for esports was no longer feasible because the spaces would not be large enough. The Ruth Funk Center would have more space, allowing the program to grow.

Gaming will, for the most part, take place on the second floor until the first floor is cleared out. Once that is complete, the first floor will be for competitive, varsity esports and the second floor will be for club and recreational gaming. 

Campanini explained that prior to Hustedt being hired, he met her at esports conferences where she was one of the featured speakers, and he thought that she’d be a good fit for the program at Florida Tech.

“The long term goal is to create an esports program that is going to be first class; one of the best in the country,” Campanini said.

NASA Prepares to Return Humans to the Moon

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Alexander Polimeni | Staff Writer

For the first time in 48 years, a human-capable spacecraft destined for the Moon rolled out of NASA’s Armstrong Operations & Checkout Facility, in preparation for a launch in late 2021. 

On Jan. 16, the Orion spacecraft emerged from its assembly hangar at a crawling speed, bound for the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility, the vehicle’s final stop before it is mated to its rocket. At the MMPF, the spacecraft will be fueled prior to launch. This particular propellant is used to maneuver Orion while in space, along with returning the capsule to Earth.

“I’m incredibly excited to service Orion at our rocket fuel gas station,” said Marcos Pena, a NASA manager based out of the MMPF, in a NASA press release.

Orion rolls from the Operations and Checkout Facility on Saturday. The spacecraft is protected by a tarp. Photo: Alexander Polimeni

Later that day, the core stage, the largest component of the 321-foot tall Space Launch System rocket, completed an engine firing test in the swamps of Mississippi. A whopping 1,670,000 pounds of thrust was unleashed on the test stand for approximately one minute, marking the first ignition of the most powerful rocket in the world, according to Boeing, the manufacturer of the core stage. While the test ended earlier than planned, it was designed to iron out any issues with the rocket before shipping to the Kennedy Space Center. 

“Seeing all four engines ignite for the first time during the core stage hot fire test was a big milestone for the Space Launch System team,” said John Honeycutt, the SLS program manager, in a NASA press release.

When SLS arrives in Florida, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage will be lifted atop the 212-foot tall core stage. After launching atop the core stage, the United Launch Alliance-built ICPS will separate in space, and boost the Orion spacecraft to the Moon. Already complete, ICPS underwent periodic maintenance at the Delta Operations Center, at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, in December, according to ULA.

Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) sits inside the International Space Station Processing Facility, awaiting launch. The silo-like structure protects its delicate engine. Photo: Alexander Polimeni

The Exploration Ground Systems team at the Kennedy Space Center has been preparing to receive components and assemble the first SLS rocket. EGS has begun stacking the massive 12-foot wide solid rocket booster segments according to NASA, each producing 3,280,000 pounds of thrust at launch. Two of these solid rocket boosters will be strapped to the side of the core stage. 

A series of rollout tests have been completed with the rocket’s Mobile Launch Platform, a steel skyscraper used to transport the rocket to the launch pad vertically. The MLP will endure the brunt of the weight; 5.75 million pounds when SLS is fully fueled. 

“Stacking the first piece of the SLS rocket on the mobile launcher marks a major milestone for the Artemis Program,” said Andrew Shroble, a manager with NASA contractor Jacobs. “It shows the mission is truly taking shape and will soon head to the launch pad.”

Mobile Launch Platform rolls back inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, after undergoing testing at the launch pad in 2018. Photo: Alexander Polimeni

The mission is named Artemis I, after the sister of Apollo, an apt allusion to the program that landed humans on the Moon in the 1960s. This uncrewed shakedown test of the launch vehicle and spacecraft will involve the insertion of Orion in lunar orbit, and spending three weeks in space, according to a Lockheed Martin press release. The launch is currently planned for late 2021.

Shortly after, Artemis II will propel humans around the Moon, the first time since the end of the Apollo Program. The pinnacle of this program is Artemis III – landing humans back on the surface of the Moon, a feat not accomplished since 1972. 

Before Artemis can make history and return humans back on the Moon, the transport of Orion was the culmination of a decade of work to make the first test flight of SLS reality. 

“It will blaze a trail that people will follow on the next Orion flight, pushing the edges of the envelope to prepare for that mission,” said Mike Sarafin, Artemis I mission manager, in a NASA fact sheet.

Top secret rocket mission set for Cape Canaveral launch

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Alex Polimeni | Staff Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL – United Launch Alliance will launch the ever-dependable Atlas V rocket, a workhorse of the U.S. intelligence and defense community, just after sunset on Nov. 4.

The 5:54 p.m. launch will be lifting a clandestine mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. Designated NROL-101, no details regarding the payload’s purpose or specifications are available to the public. 

The rocket was originally prepared for an Election Day launch. This was delayed due to a faulty environmental control system duct, according to CEO Tory Bruno on Twitter. ECS ducts provide conditioned air to the launch vehicle and spacecraft while awaiting launch.

A similar Atlas V launch in July 2020. The photo shows an Atlas V rocket taking off.
A similar Atlas V launch in July 2020. Photo | Alex Polimeni

According to an NRO press kit, the agency serves as the “eyes and ears,” over the most hostile territories in the world. The existence of the agency, founded in 1961, was only publicly acknowledged in 1992. Current capabilities and operations of this covert agency remain classified. 

“ULA is proud to play a pivotal role in support of our mission partners and national security by keeping our country safe one launch at a time,” said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of government and commercial programs, in a ULA press release. “We thank our mission partners for their continued trust and teamwork. The NROL-101 mission will be ULA’s 29th mission launched for the National Reconnaissance Office and the 17th NRO mission launched on an Atlas V.”

This Atlas V launch is monumental in ULA’s mission to reduce the costs of launch and begin evolution to their new rocket, Vulcan-Centaur. This mission will be the first to utilize the Utah-built Northrop Grumman GEM-63 solid rocket motors, according to a ULA news release.

ULA uses strap-on solid rocket boosters to increase the Atlas V’s lifting capability. According to ULA CEO Tory Bruno on Twitter, the new boosters are “higher performance,” and “approaching half the cost.” In addition, the new solid rocket boosters are nearly identical to those that will be used on the Vulcan-Centaur rocket, ensuring a crucial system is tested before the first launch in 2021. 

The NROL-101 mission will mark the 86th launch of the Atlas V, along with the 141st launch for ULA, all with 100 percent mission success.

Launch is currently set for 5:54 p.m. EST. The Atlas V will be readily visible along most of Florida’s eastern coast, and will have a contrail from three solid rocket boosters. For Florida Tech students interested in watching the event, Holland Spessard Beach affords a decent view of the launch nearby. At any launch viewing sites, be sure to follow CDC guidelines, and social distance when possible.

Cadets test their leadership skills in field training exercises

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At 3 a.m. on Nov. 3, Florida Tech Army ROTC cadets began preparing for the land navigation portion of their field training exercises. By 3:45 a.m, they set out onto the dark course. 

The goal of the FTX, as field training exercises are referred to within ROTC, was to get cadets into a field environment where they could apply what they have learned, according to senior John Panik, the S3 of Panther Battalion. 

The S3 is a leadership role that requires a significant commitment to the planning of Panther Battalion operations like FTX. 

The FTX were cadet-led, with minimal intervention from the cadre, or the complement of instructors responsible for training cadets. 

Panik said that this self-led method prepares cadets in the third year and beyond with direct experience to prepare them for their leadership roles as commissioned officers. First and second year cadets learn from them. 

Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Crook, a military instructor with Army ROTC, elaborated on the requirements of the land navigation exercise. 

“They had to find points in the night, turn in their points and check them,” Crook said.  “And as the light came up, they had to find more points in the daylight.”

Panik said that land navigation is also an exercise in self-discipline, requiring cadets to maintain precision when plotting and staying on their paths. 

Crook explained that in exercises like these, cadets are to treat instances of failure or incomplete success as learning opportunities. An after action report acts as a forum for cadets and cadre to go over successes and failures as a group, then formulate plans to improve. 

“They saw where their errors were, so they had that immediate feedback of ‘This is what I did wrong, and this is what I can do better next time,’” said Sergeant First Class Jeremy Brandon, a military instructor with Army ROTC.

“It gave them a boost of confidence,” Brandon said. “They know what they need to do, and they also know how to go back and correct the errors that they made.”

Panik said that one of the duties of a leader is to address issues or challenges efficiently and correctly. 

High temperatures presented one of these challenges on the morning of Nov. 2.

“We found it challenging to mitigate the heat,” Crook said, adding that cadets had a substantial amount of equipment to carry. “They had approximately 35 to 50 pounds on their back.”

They addressed the heat by taking a one-hour rest. Panik said that he came up with a plan to use the time wisely, bouncing it off of other leaders and putting it into place. 

He emphasized the importance of being “able to keep a level head, not get frustrated, remain calm and being able to immediately start focusing on resolving the issue.” 

“It’s one of those skills that’s hard to develop unless you’re in that situation,” Panik said. 

Crook said multiple schools will meet for the spring semester’s field training exercises, which will focus on a platoon formation. The fall exercises focused on squad formation. 

This training progression is targeted to cadets in the third year of the program. 

“By the time we get to the end of the spring, we’ve put together all the pieces they’ll need to be successful at [cadet summer training] at Fort Knox,” Brandon said.

Crook explained that having multiple schools meet tests cadets’ ability to lead in a variety of situations.

“It gets easy to lead the same people,” Crook said. “It’s a challenge when you have to lead new people.” 

“The [senior year] is almost like an internship in leadership,” Brandon said. “We’re giving them a job to do where they are putting into practice all the things we’ve been teaching them up to that point, and they have the responsibility of guiding and leading.” 

This is intended to prepare cadets to be a commissioned lieutenant who is a “trained and ready” leader. 

“A cadet in this program knows that our country is at war,” Crook said. “They know, upon graduation, they are going to serve in the Army. They know more than likely, they will serve in a combat area.” 

He emphasized that the applications of their skills are real, and that their decision making will matter. 

“They know that the skills that they’re learning, in a field training exercise today, for our seniors, could be six months from now when they’re on the battlefield,” Crook said. 

The death of the Newseum in the era of fake news

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The Newseum stands tall for the last months of the year as its closure looms Photo // Newseum

It’s been two weeks since our editorial staff attended a college media conference in Washington D.C.

We left the nation’s capital with an arsenal of tips for better reporting, but also deeply disappointed to see one of journalism’s biggest odes to the industry to be uprooted by the end of the year.

Since opening day in 2008, the Newseum has dedicated itself to increasing public understanding of the importance of a free press and the First Amendment.

“In all of the 30-plus years I spent in broadcast journalism, I would’ve never expected something like the Newseum to ever exist, anywhere,” said Paul Littman, a retired PBS broadcaster who has spent his early years of retirement volunteering at the engaging and interactive museum of news. “I was born and raised in D.C. and to see something as great as this close down will leave me heartbroken.”

As young and aspiring journalists, to walk through five floors of history and see how journalism captured every part of that left us awestruck.

One of the most visually impactful exhibits was the Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery.

To see a vulture preying on a starving child in Sudan is devastating.

But to then read that the photographer later took his own life because of the trauma and grief he felt for neglecting that child portrayed the harsh reality of reporting in third world countries.

  • A piece of the Berlin Wall showcases the contrast of freedom of speech between West Germany and East Germany. Crimson // Kevin Boodoosing
  • A piece of the Berlin Wall showcases the contrast of freedom of speech between West Germany and East Germany. Crimson // Kevin Boodoosing

Standing in front of chunks of the Berlin Wall that once separated communism from freedom was eye-opening to the freedom that we currently take for granted.

A glimpse at the civil rights movement exhibit showed that while many people turned a blind eye to the horrible things that were happening, journalists reported on the deaths of African American people, the brutal ways they were treated and the efforts they were making to gain more rights.

Walking one floor up, we entered the Stonewall exhibit, where the first Pride flag hung on the wall.

The Newseum illustrated how rights for LGBTQ people have changed and progressed throughout the years.

As in the civil rights exhibit, this was an area of history where many people were ignoring the mistreatment of the LGBTQ community or viewed them as bad people and deserving of punishment.

Meanwhile, journalists worked to uncover the truth and report it.

In another showcase—and perhaps the most emotional— newspapers from around the world covered a singular wall, each reporting on the events of 9/11.

A piece of the antenna from the North World Trade Tower stands in front of a wall of newspapers from around the world that covered 9/11.
Crimson // Jesse Villaverde

This exhibit highlighted Bill Biggart, a photographer and the only journalist to lose his life covering 9/11.

His gear was preserved in the Newseum, his photos having been recovered after the events of 9/11.

While we were in awe of the archives and galleries around us, other museum-goers were also drawn in by the history of news and value of free speech.

“This museum shows how the First Amendment is a gift to the world,” said Tim Neary, a professor from Worcester University in Massachusetts who was in town for a Georgetown Alumni celebration.“It’s a damn shame this place is closing. It seems like there has to be a solution.”

In a time when the Trump Administration has launched an attack on news media and criticized journalists for reporting “fake news,” the Newseum tells an important story.

It shows the way reporters have given their lives in pursuit of their craft.

It shows how history has been influenced by the news: When reporters do their jobs and report the truth, people take action and promote change.

In a survey of the Florida Tech community, we asked how reliable people believe the news is.

The survey is not reflective of the entirety of students, staff, faculty and alumni; rather a small portion—55 respondents—helps illustrate trends within a small section of our community.

The biggest takeaway from the survey is that 40 percent of respondents believe that the news is somewhat reliable and a little more than 38 percent believe it is mostly reliable, but we live in a time when the idea of fake news is broadcast and spread on social media constantly.

A display at the museum describes the significance of the First Amendment in a school setting. Crimson // Jesse Villaverde

Pew Research Center released a report this past June in which 68 percent of Americans, which is nearly seven in 10, said that the creation and spread of fake news is causing significant harm to the nation and needs to be stopped.

There are many people with their own agenda, but a good journalist reports facts in an unbiased way.

It is a hard job without stable hours. Many countries do not have the freedom of speech that we enjoy, and journalists risk their lives and are sometimes captured, tortured or killed as they pursue a story.

According to the journalist memorial at the Newseum, 2,344 reporters, editors, photographers and broadcasters have died doing what they loved.

These people dedicated their lives to giving marginalized groups a voice, even when others were not willing to listen.

What left us shocked in D.C. was to learn about the closing of this display of journalistic excellence.

This map compares the freedom of the press in various countries.
Crimson // Emily Walker

According to the Newseum’s website despite more than 11 years of service and nearly 10 million visitors, continued operations are no longer financially feasible.

It’s a shame as student reporters to have to wrap your mind around the fact that journalists are being torn down by the current administration in office with their jobs and the entire industry on the line.

More worrisome is the fact that no benefactor has stepped in to save this museum.

What will happen to those pieces of the Berlin Wall?

The preserved Articles of Confederation on display?

The piece of the antenna that remained from the top of the North World Trade Tower?

These are the questions reporters of our generation have now.

Pierce Brooks and his 2009 BMW 335i Coupe

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The BMW 335i Coupe glistens vibrantly on the parking lot. Photo // Pierce Brooks

The BMW 3 series line of sedans have been considered one of the best drivers’ cars for some time now, especially the infamous M3 lineup, according to motortrend.com.

For Pierce Brooks, a senior in marketing, this was not his sole reason for choosing a 2009 BMW 335i Coupe as his daily driver.

“I got my car because I always had this attraction to BMW since my dad had a 1997 318is but sold it,” Brooks said. “That led me to want a BMW of my own.”

Knowing that he wanted a BMW, the quest began for which model Brooks should get.

“This led me to do more research and that’s when I saw what an amazing platform the 335i N54 [engine name] was since it came with a 3.0L twin turbo motor from the factory,” Brooks said. “I initially had a 328i but I wanted to do performance work as well, and knew I couldn’t do that and reach the goals I wanted with that car.”

There’s a reason Brooks did thorough research.

He knew that he wanted to own this car; this was done through multiple upgrades and modifications to the stock 335i.

To the engine, Brooks has done everything he could with just bolted on parts.

“I am running stock twin turbos at the moment with full bolt ons. I have a 7 inch front mount intercooler from VRSF, catless 3 inch downpipes from VRSF, an aftermarket HKS style exhaust, charge pipe and blow off valve from Active Autowerke, two cone intake filters I made myself and a Cobb tune running their stage 2+ aggressive flash tune which is their highest running 21psi of boost,” Brooks said.

And it doesn’t end there.

Brooks has also done a plethora of modifications to the exterior of the car.

He changed out his stock suspension for Megan Racing coilovers for better handling accompanied with 18×9.5 Varrstoen te37 style wheels, LED Halo headlights, a carbon fiber lip spoiler and a carbon fiber rear diffuser.

“And of course you can’t forget to add stickers,” Brooks said.

Although Brooks has not been able to dyno his car he believes it makes around 390-400 horsepower to the wheels.

“I’ve raced and beaten a stock 2015 M4 from a stand still and those come with 426 horsepower,” Brooks said. “I’ve also beaten a stock 2016 Cadillac ATS-V from a 40mph roll and those come with 464 horsepower.”

These upgrades are one of Brook’s favorite things’ about the car.

He said that there is so much room to make power on the N54 engine.

He also said that the design of the body is simple yet aggressive.

“The design of the car just seems so timeless and never gets old to me,” Brooks said.

Ever since he was in elementary school cars have been a part of Brooks’ life.

Once car video games started to come out, he was hooked on customizing different cars; one game being Midnight Club Los Angeles.

“Cars are such a piece of art and the design behind them is always so interesting to me, how it is much more than a machine,” Brooks said.

Brooks dream car doesn’t end at his BMW.

His dream is to own a Koenigsegg One:1, which became one of the “most beautiful cars” he has ever seen alongside the Mclaren P1.

“Both cars have such amazing engineering and designs behind them, creating a performance monster while maintaining aggressive beautiful curves,” Brooks said.

NASA launches research programs for students

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NASA announced new resources and funding available to students as the program will be increasing its prevalence of small satellites, and has opened new lines of research for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Last Wednesday, a crowd of students gathered in the Hartley room to enjoy pizza and drinks before embarking on an insightful space exploration lecture led by top leading experts in the field.

Jose Nunez, the former chief of flight technologies branch at Kennedy Space Center, and the current Florida Tech liaison to KSC, presented to hundreds of young space enthusiasts.

Nunez began by describing NASA’s new objective: return to the moon by 2024. After a thorough overview of the mission phases of the Artemis program, Nunez segued to the core of his speech—research opportunities.

According to Nunez, NASA selects research through the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System, NSPIRES.

With this system, NASA posts requests for research proposals to which anyone can make submissions. NSPIRES also includes Research Opportunities in Earth and Space Science, ROSES, which is a broad research request for anything not specifically requested elsewhere.

Furthermore, NASA is looking to use some of the ROSES funding for the CubeSat Launch Initiative.

Through this initiative, students and research organizations can work with NASA to develop cubesats or small satellites, which will conduct astrophysical science research.

The Cubesat Launch Initiative is a much larger program for the development and launch of cubesats on current NASA rockets.

It includes the NASA 2020 small satellite technology partnership.

This program specifically requires the development teams to work directly with NASA and have access to a block of funds set aside for this project.

During his presentation, Nunez outlined the NASA internships.

“Internships have two different flavors,” Nunez said. “One is called a NIFs, a NASA internship fellowship. That is just a one-shot deal. The other is called a pathway. That is the path to become a civil servant.”

Nunez highlighted the value in looking for students that are involved in extracurriculars that boost their skill base in reliance to a career field in aerospace.

Some students, such as Ajeé Watson, attended mostly for the internship information.

“My major is aerospace engineering, and I wanted to hear about good opportunities,” Watson said.

Other students, such as Wesley Howell, attended more for project information.

“We have been in contact with Nunez for senior design,” Howell said. “We wanted to see how we could continue. There are a lot of opportunities for students.” Howell echoed Nunez. “My whole goal is to make you aware of the opportunities. What you do with them is up to you guys.”

Drone club kicks off the new semester

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Florida Tech’s resident drone club soared into the public eye as it hosted its first meeting of the fall semester on Friday, Sept. 27.

The Florida Tech Drone Club was founded to “bring awareness, provide experience and to be able to get the tools that we need to have to use drones to their full efficacy,” according to Nathaniel Bouchie, junior aerospace major and vice president of the drone club.

The club meets roughly once or twice a month and performs most of its other activities outside of its official meeting time.

These activities include drone building, racing and photography, but can span beyond those three categories for others interested in the club.

Furthermore, there are several opportunities for students who are interested in flying drones that are offered by the club as a whole and by its members.

The club has simulators that new flyers can practice on before piloting a physical drone.

They also have drones owned by the club’s members and by the university that can be used for events undertaken by the club, which include drones that use first-person view.

The club has taken steps to get involved in Florida Tech’s other clubs as well as in the community.

Robert Tonning, a junior in mechanical engineering and the current president of the drone club, said he enjoys flying because there are so many things that can be done with drones.

“I love the photography aspect with the Mavericks,” Tonning said. “You can race them, you can take pictures, you can map—there’s so many applications, so it’s a really good side hobby to have.”

The drone club had the opportunity to map out the animal sanctuary in Cocoa Beach last year and has considered going back, as it’s a good outreach opportunity for the club and its members.

The club also films some of the university’s athletics using drones, which included a soccer game last year.

The club wants to work with FITV as well to film an overview campus tour using their drones.

For those interested in drone racing, the student-led organization is looking to work with Eau Gallie High School to gain access to their hangar and to form a local drone racing league.

The club also encourages freestyle flying, using both line-of-sight piloting and FPV.

Eddie Torres, an experienced drone pilot from Homestead, Florida, described FPV freestyle flying as something incredible.

“It’s amazing,” Torres said. “The first-person view experience is something that everyone should try because you get the sensation of flying. You have the freedom of flight, being able to put yourself in places that you can’t [without a drone].”

The drone club is currently looking for new members.

Those interested in joining can find their meetings in Skurla, room 106 on Thursdays or on Florida Tech Engage.

Julanda Al Shukaili and his 2017 Camaro ZL1

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The Chevy Camaro has become a benchmark for performance, design and price.

Directly competing with the Ford Mustang, the Camaro has developed into much more than a straight line performance muscle car.

Chevy has proved that muscle cars can perform even on a twisty race track.

With the introduction of the 2017 Camaro ZL1 variant, it proves that Chevy has developed a muscle car that now has the performance of a supercar.

For Julanda Al Shukaili, a senior in computer engineering, it’s the ZL1’s performance and design that made him gravitate towards it.

“My favorite thing about the Camaro is that it’s a car that can do it all,” Al Shukaili said. “You can drift it, track it, drag it and get your groceries while you are at it.”

Al Shukaili said besides how it looks and the specs, there are too many Mustangs around and he wanted something different.

As for specs, Al Shukaili has kept the car relatively stock.

He has, however, swapped the stock suspension for air suspension and added custom wheels.

The ZL1 comes with Chevy’s infamous supercharged 6.2L V8 engine, making 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, with a top speed of 198 mph.

Al Shukaili explained that being a car enthusiast is important to him.

“Cars pretty much gets my blood pumping, whether it’s going fast and straight or banging the limiter while drifting a corner,” Al Shukaili said. “It’s one of the most fun things I could do and it never gets old.”

Panthers solve real-world problems

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Malia Ashmead, Jamison Burch and Emanuel Rossi with the Osiris bioreactor.

Students utilized their knowledge gained through their years at Florida Tech to find solutions to real-world problems and present them at the Northrop Grumman Student Design and Research Showcase.

The event took place on April 12 at the Clemente Center.

“This was the first time that we could really put all of our knowledge to use and see everything we have learned since freshman year,” Emily Perron, an ocean engineering major, said.

Perron’s group, Reef Life, created an artificial reef that creates a perfect surf while also protecting the shoreline and promoting coral growth.

Perron said that the modular design was based off of LEGOs so the reef could be configured in any shape.

“It feels really great to have won Best in Show for Ocean Engineering and to know that someone really appreciated our hard work,” Perron said. “I’m very grateful.”

Reef Life placed first in their category, but success did not come without challenges.

Emily Perron and Stephen Hammond with their artificial reef, Reel Life.

“Originally we tried 3D printing our blocks, and they took 20 hours each to make and kept failing,” Perron said. “We had to make 100 of these blocks, so we had to find a different method of designing.”

Reef Life opted to use molds instead of printing to speed up their manufacturing process.

Dev Patel, an aerospace engineering major, presented the Perching Unmanned Monitoring Aircraft or PUMA.

PUMA can act as both a rotorcraft and a fixed wing aircraft, giving it increased speed and maneuverability.

The aircraft has a claw-like landing gear, which allows it to perch like a bird.

“It’s designed to act as a mobile services platform for emergency service providers,” Patel said.

Computer engineering major, Ahmed Okasha and his team designed an on-board diagnostic tool for the formula electric team.

“Once they build the car, the engineers would basically just walk up and plug in the device to the car and be able to get all the readings that they need,” Okasha said.

The device would give battery voltage, temperature and charging state readings.

Okasha said that in the future, a radio can be added to the device so that it can stay on the car permanently and send info back to the engineers while it’s racing.

“It [completing senior design] feels satisfying, but there’s always that one part of you that feels as if you could have done more,” Okasha said.

Cooper Mitchell, an ocean engineering student, and his team built the foundation vessel SWATH. SWATH is a Small Waterplane Area Twin Hole vessel was built to bridge the gap between large vessels and smaller vessels with not much over complications.

Mitchell’s project reached outside of ocean engineering and recruited the help of aerospace, electrical and computer engineers.

“It’s a great culmination of my ocean engineering degree,” Mitchell said. “We did coastal process, naval architecture, instrumentation, material science and ship design and construction. It showed me to have a full range of experience to take with me into the job market.”