[AlexRider]

EX ASTRIS, SCIENTIA
FROM THE STARS, KNOWLEDGE

Greetings all!

Welcome to 2023's July edition of the Academy News! I am Commodore AlexRider, SFA Deputy Commandant. This newsletter is an Academy's initiative in order 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 last and this month:

• SilverShrowl
• AmuroRayNX01
• ilyesufo
• Curtis
• Greylock
• PurpleRose
• LordRazor
• MiiaRayner
• cactoos
• lloydhsmithjr
• Calcyon
• Mark Okuda
• tlbomansr
• KickKat
• Docsven
• rfc
• justroos
• bugen7
• Dioramante
• Jir

Welcome (back) aboard, crewmen!



COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

• New ARES Lead Simulation Officer:
  (From the ARES Commanding Officer Rear Admiral Kiflin):
  We are pleased to announce that Lt. Commander Ravensplat has now been promoted to the Lead Simulation position for the Ares Rp Project.
  
  Ravensplat has demonstrated real passion for roleplaying within our unique format and is looking forward to aiding the Ares Command Team in developing more Starships for future stories and player characters. Being a Lead Simulation Officer has its perks namely being able to play as antagonists during stories and managing Simulation Officers during story development and player character implementation.
  
  We salute Ravensplat and know that this new challenge will be fully embraced and accepted.
  
  Congratulations Ravensplat!!
  
  
• UFPAC LXVIII - June 2023:
  (From FNS Correspondent Lt. Commander RavenSplat and SFA Deputy Commandant Commodore AlexRider):
  It was time for another UFPAC. The 68th Award Ceremony took place on Sunday, June 25th, and yet again it was a fantastic show! Fleet Admiral Three of Seven, Admiral Solace and Admiral Bedders did a great job hosting the event and lots of members received a promotion, a medal and even a UFP commendation. Congratulations to all of you and thanks again for this wonderful presentation.
  
  You can have a look at the awards list HERE and re-watch the video HERE.
  
  
• 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. Events are for STO as well as Holodeck games that are not Star Trek related. Here are some examples of upcoming events:

• R.A.F - Red Alert Friday:
  On Friday, July 7th, at 8:00 PM BST/UFP; Special OPS Commander Admiral Miles:
  
  Greetings Captains and Welcome to Red Alert Friday!
  
  This event is open to everybody to have fun, but most of all destroy our enemies!
  
  What we can do:
  TFO runs (Advanced or Elite)
  Endeavors
  Patrol runs
  Discuss about builds and game's additions/features
  
  LLAP / QAPLA'
  
  
  
• SWTOR Flashpoints:
  On Sunday, July 9th, at 1:00 PM BST/UFP; SFHolo Commanding Officer Admiral ChrisWilkinson:
  
  Greetings fellow Champions!
  
  Tonight we perform one or more dangerous missions to aid the Galaxy in it's glorious fight!
  
  How many missions is determined by the galaxy's most wealthy, as they send urgent requests for help from all corners of the galaxy.
  
  We may be up against members of the Hutt Cartels, smugglers, pirates, or a large faction such as the Republic or Empire!
  
  It is hoped that all attending will make it back in one piece, but as ever - last messages to loved ones will be passed across should you fall in battle.
  
  
  
• HALO Night:
  On Tuesday, July 11th, at 7:30 PM BST/UFP; Gaming Specialist Admiral Bedders:
  
  Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a collection of first-person shooter video games in the Halo series. 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). 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 are writing articles on a regular basis for you to read. Here are some examples of recently published works:

• Review: The Legend of Zelda - Tears of the Kingdom by Lt. Commander RavenSplat:
  How does the new Zelda game hold up after 100 hours? You can read the article here.
  
  
• Are we just decades away from a spectacular supernova in Orion? by (Prov.) Lieutenant WoorLord:
  New research suggests that Betelgeuse, the famous Red Supergiant in the constellation Orion, may only have decades left before exploding in a spectacular supernova. Enjoy reading this article here.
  
  
• Star Wars Outlaws: Cinematic trailer released by (Prov.) Lieutenant WoorLord:
  Last month Lucasfilm and Massive Entertainment released the world premiere cinematic teaser for the first ever open-world Star Wars video game and it impresses with both vision and execution. Read more about it here.

Alright, there goes another month. Thanks for reading, we’ll see you in August, around the galaxy... or at Quark's!


Commodore AlexRider
SFA Deputy Commandant
Recruitment Coordinator
FNS Staff Writer