CMU freshman has mission to fly the CMU flag in space

Bradley Davis plans to take a Central Michigan University flag into space.

The Jenison freshmen is attempting to be one of 22 winners of the AXE Apollo Space Academy prize, which will send the winners to the edge of space and back aboard a private spaceship.

The contest, which was announced in January, invited interested parties to join the AXE Apollo Space Academy. The two people who gain the most votes on the contest’s U.S. site by April 27 will be invited to go to the Axe Space Camp in Orlando, Fla. There, they will join the winners from other countries, where they have a chance to join the International Space Crew.

Davis, who has always had an interest in space, found the opportunity too good to pass up.

“Space, the universe, while I’m looking at it, is so large, and we’re so small,” Davis said. “I’ve always been fascinated by it.”

Davis is studying both physics and astronomy at CMU and dreams of being an astrophysicist.

He’s inspired by the like of Neil Degrasse Tyson, a famous American astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City.

Davis, who frequently gets in debates with his roommate about evolutionary theory, became fascinated with science and the universe early.

“A lot of it was because of my dad,” Davis said. “He used to come in and wake me up at three in the morning if he saw something cool in the sky.”

Davis has been as high as 42nd on the Axe Leaderboard, which ranks the participants with the most votes. It is likely he will have to reach the Top 10 to receive any serious consideration.

Still, Davis has campaigned hard for votes, and with the entirety of his family and friends’ votes already counted, Davis is now looking outside of his circle to push him to the final 10.

Harrison sophomore Sean VanEvery, Davis’ residential assistant in Troutman Hall, supports Davis’ mission — not only for himself, but the university.

“I’m hoping that our fellow student body will be supportive and go vote for him,” VanEvery said. “I think this would be a wonderful thing for our university to share with potential incoming freshmen. It just shows how friendly and supportive we are as a university. What really do people have to lose? Nothing. They only gain the right to say, ‘I helped someone achieve their childhood dream.’”

Davis said that although his background gives him little in terms of a compelling backstory, it is his passion for space that gives him the advantage.

“Why do I deserve to win? Because this is my passion. I’m going into this. I love this,” Davis said. “That’s why I deserve to win.”