These past two weeks have been some of the busiest most fun times I have had in Daytona yet. We just had homecoming and it was so much fun. My Fraternity built a float on the back of a Ryder trailer and we made it into a pirate ship. The theme of the homecoming parade was “Once Upon a Time,” so we did Pinocchio. For some reason we all dressed up as pirates and had one person wear a long nose to represent Pinocchio, but it was a lot of fun.. When our float went under the walkway near the student village, our mast on the pirate ship hit and snapped in half, it was really funny and the crowd was very amused, but duck-tape did the job to get it back up. We didn’t win any awards for our float because some of the other organizations went through extremes in decorating, but the surf club won the best on-campus sign.

Besides the parade, the Touch and Go production team hired Carlos Mencia to do a show one of the nights and he was really good. He is the comedian with his own show on Comedy Central “Mind of Mencia.” This past week was also Sky Fest and Alumni weekend for my Fraternity besides the entire school. We had a big BBQ right along the airport and watched all of the aerobatics and fighter jets perform their shows right above our heads. They even had a jet engine mac truck rip down the runway. My favorite part of the show would have to be the A-10 doing low fly-bys simulating air-to-ground bombings with actual pyrotechnics and fire. It gave me the chills every time the A-10 would fly over because I am sure it has been the last thing many people have seen who fight against the US. After the BBQ that night, everyone got together and we all partied ³responsibly² with the Alumni. Pledging is still “going,” but there is only 2 more weeks I have to make it through until I am done.

As far as academics are going, I just survived my second series of major exams which all happened in to be in the same week again. I did really well on every one of them and am really getting motivated to keep up the good work. Going to class ever day is becoming a bit of a challenge now, but since I am doing this good so far why waste my previous effort by being lazy? In my ATC classes we are going over a lot of familiar stuff to me since I am already a pilot, but reviewing sectionals and basic navigation could never hurt. I am so excited to be going to Embry-Riddle for ATC, I just finished scheduling my classes for next semester and the ATC ones look like so much fun.

That’s is it for this entry. Keep the questions coming those of you who have been sending me them. Until next time work hard and stay out of trouble.

Hi again everybody.

There has been so much going on here lately in the area. This week is BiketoberFest and there are motorcycles everywhere. Traffic is not too bad on the mainland side but beachside it is, the noise from the bikes is kind of getting a bit annoying. I have seen some crazy/weird people I don’t think I would have ever imagined seeing, but they all ride ridiculously awesome motorcycles. These bikers definitely do carry the ‘stereotype’ of being hard partiers from what I have seen at night, but they all share a fun time together. Daytona Beach is like nothing I ever imagined.

I am officially a member now of the Riddle-Surf club. I went to the surf trip this Sunday and it was a lot of fun. Basically everyone from the club goes to the beach together and surfs, the more experienced surfers usually ended up teaching the beginners. If any of you ever want to learn how to surf, I definitely recommend joining the surf club.

Since I’m on the topic of clubs, a good amount of you have been e-mailing me questions about my Fraternity. Now that I am about half-way through pledging, it is beginning to get a bit more challenging. Luckily all of my pledge brothers are really fun to be with. Pledging is not ‘too’ bad, we give each other support when needed. Greek life is definitely not for everyone, but if it is for you, I guarantee it will be the most fun and greatest experience you will ever have. Most Fraternities promote scholarship so grades are always number one priority; at least with Sigma Pi the concern is pretty high up there. It seems like every weekend is getting better than the last and I can see a noticeable bond forming between us pledges and the Brothers. I definitely feel proud and privileged to be pledging Sigma Pi Fraternity.

As far as my academics are going, I am doing pretty well. I am approaching another hell week of tests every day, but I feel very prepared for them now that I know how the tests are structured. My ATC classes are getting a lot more interesting too. We are finally going over stuff that we will definitely use every day in our controlling careers. This past Thursday I went to an ATC club meeting where the supervisor of Daytona Beach Intl Control Tower gave us a great lecture on the career as well as his own personal experiences. A lot of people showed up and the topics/ questions were very good. It made me proud to be an Embry-Riddle student.

One major point I have to say for all you interested in becoming a controller is don’t just do it for the money because the job will defeat you if your heart isn’t in it. Also, things are looking very good for the future in ATC. I am so anxious to graduate ERAU and get called to the FAA academy, but at the same time I am loving my Fraternity and never want to leave this school.

Many of you have been e-mailing me questions so keep it up! I enjoy getting back to you with my own opinions. My e-mail for those of you who don’t know, beim582@erau.edu .

Well, I got to go so that is it for this entry. Do good in school and for all of you future FAA controllers out there, STAY OUT OF TROUBLE and good luck!

Hello again everybody.
Since last time, it has been amazingly busy here in Daytona Beach. Now that I am into my fourth week of classes, I can accurately say I have a pretty good routine going. The work load is definitely starting to pick up and is becoming a lot more challenging, but nothing overwhelming.

I am taking two air traffic classes and I absolutely love them. They are very interesting and I enjoy going to them every day. In my one class, we just learned all about the history of ATC and now we are starting on the ATC system as a whole. In the other, we finished the teamwork, documents, and communications section and are just starting the aircraft identification section. Each of these classes is structured around the FAA’s demands. Everything we learn will most likely be seen again if we get accepted to the FAA training academy in Oklahoma City.

I am also taking a meteorology class and a human factors class. My meteorology professor is actually the weatherman for central Florida’s Channel 13 news station. It is kind of strange to see him in the classroom, and then 4 hours later on my TV, but the class is very interesting. This past week, I had been bombarded with tests, just about every day of the week I had a test in each one of my classes, a lot of studying and work, but I pulled through..

So that is how my academic life is going. Now on to my social life.

Embry-Riddle has so many clubs and organizations to pick from! About two weeks back I ended up joining the scuba diving club and the surf club when they held the activities fair. There are hundreds of activities to choose from, whatever interests you they probably have here.

The University also held a Greek night where you go around to the Fraternities/Sororities table and decide which one you like enough to rush and possibly join. In my personal opinion, Sigma Pi here at Embry-Riddle has the most to offer and is probably the best Fraternity on campus. After going around and seeing/ hearing what all the others had to offer, nothing could compare to Sigma Pi, I had to rush them.

Rush week is when all of the interested students hang out with the Brother’s and decide if they like the organization enough and want to pledge. It also gives the Brothers a chance to determine if they like you enough and think you are worthy of pledging their organization. At the end of rush week, if everything worked out, they give you a bid and invite you to pledge the Fraternity. I was lucky enough to get a bid from Sigma Pi and of course I accepted it. So now I am a pledge and have to go through the new member education process.

My pledge brothers are really cool and I enjoy hanging out with them, so things aren’t too bad yet. This past week they assigned me to my ‘Big Brother,’ Chad. He is like a mentor to me and will help guide me through my pledging process. Every day I am developing more and more respect towards the Brothers. They are all really cool and know how to have a good time. Yesterday we cleaned up Clyde Morris, the highway in front of the University. Sigma Pi actually adopted that entire road. It was so hot out, but the Brothers made it into a fun time. Out of all the Fraternities on campus, Sigma Pi by far is the best one in my opinion.

On another note, I am really glad I chose to live off campus since I was eligible because I am a transfer student. I have a huge apartment, my own bathroom, and no RA looking after my every move. On the other hand I have to drive to class every day, make my own meals, and most of the friends I met live on campus, so I’m kind of out of the loop. Either way you look at it, there are definitely pros and cons with off-campus living.

In these upcoming weeks, there is going to be a lot to look forward to in the Daytona Beach area and also the University. Homecoming is coming up and from what I hear; things get crazy on campus during it. Also, Biketober Fest is just around the corner. It is when bikers from all around the country come to Daytona to show off their stuff, sell things, and party. It should be interesting once they all come. People say that the area gets so loud and the roadways get clogged with motorcycles. I am looking forward to Sky Fest most of all for the upcoming month. It is a huge air show over the airport with all kinds of stunt pilots and vendors from every where all relating to aviation, it definitely sounds like fun.

To wrap things up, I am really enjoying it here, from the new friends to the new experiences, everything is going really well for me. If any of you ever have any questions regarding academics or the social scene here, email me at beim582@erau.edu. It would probably be best though if you continue to ask me questions through the discussion board. If you see me on campus, let me know if you read my entries. Until next time, do good in school and stay out of trouble.