[Chris Wilkinson]

EX ASTRIS, SCIENTIA
FROM THE STARS, KNOWLEDGE

Greetings All! Welcome to the second edition of the 2021 Academy News! I am Chris Wilkinson, Deputy Commandant of Starfleet Academy. This newsletter is an initiative from the Academy that is intended to keep you abreast of the latest news from across the United Federation of Planets.

NEW MEMBERS
We welcome the following new members who have joined (or re-joined) the UFP since the last edition:

• Aniruddh.k
• solus112
• DarkHerobrine127
• Menedil
• theherberjr
• Horvastus
• Zasz
• Mannfred
• ander-roo
• Tytalus
• Lerciar
• Setsuna21
• ngryanshukelele
• Dataholic
• directorcoulson
• rastilion
• GenysisAU
• CaptainHavoc
• dragoon
  

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Starfleet Academy - Recruitment Coordinator:
  (From the Academy Commandant EnlistedNut09)
  AlexRider:
  As you may be aware with the selection and promotion of Chris Wilkinson to the Academy Executive Officer position the Recruitment Coordinator role was needing to be filled. I'm pleased to announce that the new Recruitment Coordinator is AlexRider.
  
  AlexRider has stepped up to fill this position. Being promoted from the RSO role will allow him the opportunity to help direct recruitment efforts in the best way possible.
  
  Please join me in congratulating AlexRider on his new role.
  
  
• Starfleet Academy - Deputy Commandant:
  (From the Academy Commandant EnlistedNut09)
  Chris Wilkinson:
  As you're probably aware the search for a new Academy Deputy Commandant has been going on for a bit and after a very intense interview process I'm pleased to announce that the new SFA Deputy Commandant has accepted the position and that it is Chris Wilkinson.
  
  Chris Wilkinson has served for some time in the Academy, starting as an RSO and most recently as the Recruitment Coordinator. His dedication, commitment, and professionalism in all his roles will help continue to drive the Academy into the future.
  
  Please join me in congratulating Chris Wilkinson on his new role.
  
  
• VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
  
  The UFP would not be the place it is today without our volunteers who selflessly sacrifice their time to help out. Check out the currently open volunteer positions, and how to apply for one, here. If you don't find something there that aligns with your interests, you can always fill out the volunteer interest form to express your desire for something specific to help our community grow. Use the bottom section of the form for that and make sure you treat it just as importantly as an application for an open position. Put in as many details as possible and thank you for your interest!

UPCOMING EVENTS
The United Federation of Planets has a good number of events coming up! You can sign up for any of these events here:

• WOW RAID NIGHT:
  On both Friday the 12th of February and Saturday the 13th of Feburary at 1900 GMT/UFP; SFHolo Raid Leader Ratthlehead We are taking on the denizens of Castle Nathria with the goal of defeating Sire Denathrius and re-establishing order in the Shadowlands.
  
  If you wish to join our raid team make sure to speak with Sammygm, Mack or Rattlehead and read this post in order to get an idea about what we are looking for and what you should expect when joining our ranks.
  
  We will be running normal difficulty until we can comfortably clear it before moving on to heroic.
  
• WE COMING FOR YOU FAYE LAU! BE MY VALENTINE? =P:
  On Saturday the 13th of February at 1600 GMT/UFP; Gaming Supervisor Heyallo:
  Greetings Fellow Agents,
  
  This is it! The last target to hunt and then we get to off Faye Lau, that dirty dirty backstabbin' cheater!
  
  This is the last event for this season, though I am more than happy to help anyone who hasn't finished this season's manhunt catch up/finish before the end of the season, just drop me a PM =)
  
  NOTE: 4 person group limit, so if more than that show, we will do our best to split into even groups =)
  
• SPECIAL OPERATIONS SATURDAY:
  On Saturday the 13th of February at 2000 GMT/UFP; Special OPS Commander Solace: Greetings members! Welcome to Special Operations Saturday!
  
  This is event is open everybody to have some fun and hang out with fleet mates!
  
  This is what we typically get up to:
  Any TFO requested by attendees
  Endeavours
  Accolade hunting
  Build Advice
  Elite content runs for some extra challenge!
  
  So, come along and hangout with us! We'd love to see you there
  
• WATCH THOSE WRIST ROCKETS!:
  On Monday the 15th of February at 1930 GMT/UFP; Gaming Specialist TH3TRUELUKE Star Wars Battlefront Join us, as we fight for the Imperials and crush the Rebel scum, for the Republic to defend democracy, for the CIS to eliminate clones, or for the Rebellion to overthrow the Empire.
  
  This is the 2017 release of Battlefront 2, not the earlier 2005 version.
  
  Can be acquired from EA Play, Steam. Origin
  
  See you on the battlefield!
  
• WARTHOG WHEELIES!!:
  On Wednesday the 17th of February at 1930 GMT/UFP; Holodeck CO Bedders Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a collection of first-person shooter video games in the Halo series. Halo Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4 will all be there by the end of 2020. And thanks to the miracles of remade graphics, we have some spicy new cutscenes and redone graphics for the older games.
  
  In this event we will be running through the campaigns chronologically (Halo Reach, Halo 1, Halo 2, Halo 3: ODST, Halo 3, Halo 4, Halo 5). We will split up into smaller fireteams as necessary (some of the games have a 2-person limit, others have 4) depending on how many players attend. Please make sure you have an up-to-date copy of the game that we are playing on the day. It can be purchased from either the Microsoft Store or Steam as they both work together.
  
  So come, grab the cola and pizza, and relive the legend of Halo Night.
  
  Good luck Spartans!

FEDERATION NEWS SERVICE ARTICLES
Our Federation News Service has a number of dedicated writers who've written the following articles for you to read. They're always a great read.

• Nicole Janeway: Meet Voyager's First Captain by Silek: In 1994 Geneviève Bujold predicted she would make her mark as Starfleet's first female primetime Captain. You can read it here.
  
  
• Northrop Grumman Names Newest Spacecraft after 'Hidden Figures' Icon by Silek: Northrop Grumman announced this week it would be naming it's newest cargo ship after 'Hidden Figures' icon, Katherine Johnson. You can read it here.
  
  
• Steam In Hot Water On Both Sides Of The Pond by Silek: A group of gamers delivers a punitive class action to the Valve Corporation in a California court. You can read it here.
  
  
• Sally Ride - Reaching for the Stars by Alexrider: Physicist Sally Kristen Ride was the very first female US astronaut in space and the youngest astronaut to leave Earth at age thirty two. You can read it here.
  
  
• Lord of The Rings Online: Remastered by Saelanna: Daybreak Games announces a significant technical and graphics update for the 14-year-old MMO. You can read it here.
  
  
• Could A Floating Asteroid Belt Colony Save All Of Humankind? by Silek: Four years ago Stephen Hawking gave us 100 years to move off the planet. Here's how it's going so far. You can read it here.
  
  
• https://ufplanets.com/news.php?1386-The-Multiverse-Does-it-Even-Exist by Chris Wilkinson: A brief look into the idea of the multiverse theory. You can read it here.
  
  
• https://ufplanets.com/news.php?1382-The-Mandalorian-A-New-Hope by Saelanna: The Mandalorian: A New Hope. You can read it here.

Thanks for reading and we’ll see you around the galaxy!

[timverbesselt]