By Zachary Masters
On campus, The Appalachian reports that a majority of faculty members support the highly-debated pass/no credit grading system since its attempted reintroduction in March. On April 12th, the faculty senate voted 24 to 12 in favor of the SGA drafted pass/no credit system, with three members abstaining. While there are many faculty members who do support the bill, there are still smaller contingents of faculty members who are worried that policy will only cause students to put much less effort in their classes.
In local news, several members of the App State community are volunteering as coaches for local middle and high school students involved with cycling through the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. The Appalachian reports that the North Carolina NICA league aims to offer opportunities for young people to develop a strong passion for cycling as well as empower these students through the development of a strong mind, body, and character. With 15 of the 35 student cyclists being female, the NICA is proud to encourage and promote inclusivity in the historically male-dominated sport.
Nationally, The Wall Street Journal reports that NASA’s Mars Ingenuity helicopter made history as the first powered craft to fly on another planet. Despite extreme cold, a thin atmosphere and technical issues found within the flight software, the carbon fiber rotor blades managed to propel the drone 10-feet above the ground at 3:30 am ET this morning. With this accomplishment, NASA administrator Steve Juczyk stated, “It’s the next step in expanding our capabilities to explore another planet. A helicopter could be used as a scout for robotic missions to look over the horizon and eventually as a partner for astronauts on Mars.”
This afternoon’s weather comes from BooneWeather.com. Today, expect a cloudy and rainy day with clear skies making an appearance in the evening. Prepare for a high of 58 degrees and a low of 38 degrees with gusts of winds reaching anywhere from 5-15 mph.