Hello to all! Daytona is finally rid of all the bikers and I think the dust is ready to settle. This town has been a total zoo for the past week! Bike Week was more than I could have ever imagined, but it was a good time. So after all of the commotion, what comes next? Mid terms! I have been swamped in study sessions and homework problems for the last half of last week and will continue to be under the weight of tests until this Wednesday.

I recently went to Atlanta, Georgia, for a leadership conference called Pike University. This is a convention where Pi Kappa Alpha members and alumni go to learn about different types of leadership and how to recruit people for the fraternity. They also taught various things, such as how to iron a tie, manage finances, and dress properly. I found these particularly insightful because it’s not every day I get the opportunity to be taught things of that nature. I had a great time, and really learned the true meaning of servant leadership. But upon leaving Atlanta, we got caught in a snow blizzard! No joke, a cold front pushed through the southeast last weekend and snow was reported almost to the Florida-Georgia state line. Being a Florida native, I had never driven through snow before so it was an adventure in and of itself.

This past week was Greek Week, which is a campus-wide competition among the fraternities and sororities here at Riddle. Every evening has a different event: one day is tug of war, one is cardboard boat races, one is relay races, etc. We didn’t perform as well as we usually do, but it was still a good time and we still had fun. Friday night was an event called “Up ’til Dawn” which raises money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Up ’til Dawn is just that – you stay up from 7pm to 7am and raise money for charity. All of the Pikes attended and we wrote letters to people asking for donations to the hospital and earned a good amount of community service, not to mention helping out the kids at St. Jude’s.

Our pledge class of Pike competes in both basketball and softball in the Riddle intramural league, and I usually come out to all the games and play. We usually lose, but we always have a good time so it’s not a big deal. We have come a long way since we began, so progress is always rewarding.

I recently got a new job on campus as campus tour guide. I really wanted a position in the admissions department, and had been waiting for one to become available for quite some time. I received an email stating four positions had opened up in the admissions department so I went in and scheduled an interview. Apparently, fifty-three other people also had the same idea I had. So many people were competing for so few jobs! But after all was said and done, myself and another Pike received the spots, along with two others. I start this next week, so I am really looking forward to what this position will have to offer.

And guess what next week is? SPRING BREAK! Woo hoo! I am really stoked to head home for a week and see my friends and family. It’s been almost three months since I’ve seen them all. Adjusting to my high school friends being so far away has been the hardest part about college. Anyhow, next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Fort Walton Beach, Florida!

Let me know if you have any questions about Riddle or Pike, and hopefully I can see you all soon when you come for your campus tour! Hello to Andrea and Juan and thanks for all the emails! (See, when you email, you get a shout out!)

See ya,
Josh