Hello! My name is Kaleigh Sides and this is my second year at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and my second year writing a journal. I’m majoring in Aviation Business Administration with a concentration in Airport Management. Also, I’m involved in Air Force ROTC (which I will talk about more later on), Silver Wings, and Airport Management Club. Some of my favorite things about Embry-Riddle are the sound of airplanes constantly flying overhead, the nice warm weather with no snow in December, the small campus where you can be guaranteed to walk anywhere and see someone you know, and of course the classes.

This semester I am taking mainly business courses, which I really like because that’s my major. My classes are: MA 320 Decision Math, EC 315 Managerial Economics, BA 314 Human Resource Management, BA 320 Business Information Systems, BA 420 Management of Production and Operations, and my Air Force Class. I am taking my last math, economics, and computer classes which I’m pretty excited about! My math teacher is the same one that I had last semester and I think she does a really good job teaching, so I am lucky to have her again. However, I still go to the free math tutor for help because it’s free and I like to work on my homework with other people because it keeps me focused. Economics is not one of my strong suits and I have heard that this class is pretty hard. The only grades are from tests and the final is worth 40% of your grade! I plan on studying really hard and maybe finding some other people to study with. Human Resources is a class I really like because it can apply to any job and the textbook is easy to understand. My Business Information Systems class is my last computer class and we don’t even get to use the computer because it’s more on understanding key functions of the computer rather than applications like my other two computer classes. My Management of Production and Operations class is taught by the same teacher as my Principles of Management class that I took last fall. I like when I get a professor that I’ve already had because I know their teaching style and I have a heads-up on the layout of the tests. My Air Force Class is going to be on the history of airpower and I am looking forward to it because I like learning about history. Overall, I think I have a pretty good schedule and I’m enjoying my classes.

Air Force ROTC is going well and I am enjoying being a 200 because now I get to share my knowledge with the new freshman. PT (physical training) was cancelled last Friday because of the weather and the Monday before was a holiday, so we have only had one session and I enjoyed the workout. Over the summer, I ran with my sister several times a week out in the country and I think that helped me to stay in shape. Last year, I hated running and towards the end of the year I got to the point where I could tolerate it; now I enjoy running and I want to participate in a 5K sometime. This time last year I was completely overwhelmed with AFROTC and I couldn’t imagine how I was going to remember—let alone memorize everything, but this year it seems so much easier because everything is not completely new.

Silver Wings is getting started this coming week and it looks like it’s going to be a fun-filled week. On Tuesday, the Activities Fair will be happening and it’s where all the clubs set up and you can find out about any that you are interested in joining. Wednesday we are having our meeting, Thursday we are going to play wiffle ball, Friday we are going bowling, and on Saturday we are doing a beach cleanup. I’m looking forward to the events because I’ll get to meet new people, which is one of the reasons I decided to join Silver Wings! For all of those who don’t know, Silver Wings is a professional co-ed community service organization that is affiliated with the Air Force Association.

I think that’s all for now. This entry was mainly an overview so you could get to know me, but the next one will focus more on what’s happening and what’s going on in my classes. If you have any questions, just send me an e-mail.

Until next time,
Kaleigh Sides

Well, it’s the end of the semester and the end of my first year at Embry-Riddle! It is even harder to believe that this is my last journal entry. These past two weeks have been leading up to finals and I have been busy trying to finish up my projects and studying for my Marketing and Microeconomics finals. However, I have found some time to have fun. This weekend some friends and I decided to take a break from all of our studying and go drive go-karts. I had so much fun driving the go-karts and we spent two and half hours there racing one another on the three different tracks. Finals started on Saturday and now I only have two left on Tuesday, so I only have to study a little bit more and then I am done.

The Air Force Dining Out was a lot of fun because everyone was all dressed up in their Service Dress. I had a good time talking to everyone. There was a social hour before the dinner started and everyone got to mingle with one another. Then, we took our seats and watched a video that reviewed the entire year. Several toasts were made and then we ate dinner, which was really good. Next, the Colonel announced the new Wing Staff and made a few announcements. The entire event was a good time and I am looking forward to next year’s! Also, I was supposed to get to ride in a C-130 at Patrick Air Force Base; however, after we arrived we found out that we wouldn’t be able to due to maintenance issues. I was a little disappointed but I enjoyed getting to see another Air Force Base. Check out my pictures because I posted a couple of the airplanes and one of me at Dining Out.

For my last journal entry I thought that I would leave you with a few tips:

1. Join some clubs because that is the best way to meet people. You should check out Silver Wings for sure! Go to the Activities Fair held during the second or third week of school on Heritage Walkway to find out more about every club.
2. Go to the free events and lectures. A person can never have too much free stuff! Also, the lectures are beneficial because you might learn something new or earn extra points in one of your classes and don’t ever pass up extra points.

If you are planning on joining Air Force ROTC, then keep reading!

3. Relax!  Things may seem overwhelming but you will get the hang of it after the first few weeks.
4. Bring a blue or black backpack because you can’t wear any other color while in uniform.  Also, a black belt and some polo shirts because you sometimes want to look professional when you go into the Detachment.
5. When you get the uniform, you will need black shoe polish (Kiwi Shoe Polish is the best), white v-neck shirts, spray starch, and an iron. If you don’t know how to use an iron, make sure you learn how this summer.
6. Don’t forget your running shoes!

I hope everyone has a great summer and maybe I will see some of you around campus next semester!  Your schedules and room assignments should arrive during the first weeks of August.  If you have any questions throughout the summer, don’t hesitate to send me an e-mail at sidesk@erau.edu.

Kaleigh Sides

Happy late birthday! My birthday was last Monday and to me, it seemed like any other day, until I went to the mail center—my mom sent a huge birthday package that arrived on time! She even sent me a birthday cake which I shared with some of my friends. The best part was that I got mail everyday last week! On Tuesday, some of my girlfriends took me out to eat and I thought it was just going to be the three of us; but when we got there I saw a bunch of people from Silver Wings. Turns out one of my friends had spread the word, so I had a terrific birthday. The semester is almost over with only nine days of classes left! Air Force finished the semester last Friday with Pass-In-Review.

After Pass-In-Review, I went to the AcaFellas concert with some other Air Force people. I thought the AcaFellas did an outstanding job! Two Air Force guys are in the group, so there was a pretty good turnout to cheer them on. Always try and attend events like these because you are supporting one another and they are free! I also attended a seminar held by the College of Business about cultural diversity. I found the seminar very informative; for example, business cards are very important especially in Japan and you should present your card to the person with both hands and the writing facing them. Most seminars that I have attended have door prizes and food and I won an Embry-Riddle picture frame at this one. Go to the lectures and seminars as much as possible because you learn new things, get free food, and can win prizes.

I have several Air Force events to do before the semester is truly over! This coming Friday we have Dining Out and it is going to be held at the Hilton on the beach. I have heard that we have dinner and they announce who is going to be the new Wing Staff. I am looking forward to it and will be sure to take my camera! Also, I still have Air Force class for the next two weeks but that’s not too bad. On Thursday, I get to go to Patrick Air Force Base and ride on a C-130! Last semester I rode in a helicopter and this semester I get to ride in a cargo plane! I didn’t think I would get to go because by the time I signed up all the slots were filled and I was the 6th alternate; however, some people dropped or weren’t eligible so always sign up and just keep your fingers crossed. I will be taking my camera on that trip too!

This past Saturday, Silver Wings had their Initiation Dinner and I officially got initiated! Last semester after completing the Associate process they couldn’t let any cadets in because the organization must maintain a 50 percent plus one civilian membership. This semester the organization only took civilians and they were able to let in two cadets. I was happy because now I get to wear a cord on my uniform signifying my membership. All of you thinking about joining a club should seriously consider Silver Wings. We are a fun group, we do community service, support the military (especially the United States Air Force), and we always have a good time. Silver Wings is a great club option. Because we are co-ed, you don’t have to pay as much as you would for some of the other clubs and organizations and you still get to do community service, weekly meetings, and induction dinners are like formals. Join Silver Wings!

My classes are going pretty well and last week I gave my Honors presentation and turned in my 10 page paper, so now I just have to show up to class. The presentation and paper were on Huntington’s disease and before I started writing the paper I thought there was no way I could get 8 to 10 pages. I surprised myself when I was on the 10th page and hadn’t even started my conclusion or included any pictures. Don’t procrastinate and when the teacher tells you a due date at the beginning of the year, tell yourself it’s due a week or two earlier. Also, do all the research in one week and then the next week try and write one page a day. I have found that by breaking it down like this and not procrastinating as much, I don’t feel as overwhelmed. My presentation was going well, when all of the sudden the professor interrupted me to ask a question. This has never happened before and I was surprised that he didn’t just wait until the end. After he did it many of the students did the same thing and I ended up turning my fifteen minute presentation into a thirty minute talk. The professor was surprised when I wanted to turn my paper in early, but he went ahead and accepted it. Hopefully, I will find out my grade soon!

I hope everyone that came to Preview Day on Saturday enjoyed seeing campus! If you have any questions about ROTC, my classes, campus, Silver Wings, or anything at all—send me an e-mail.

Until next time,

Kaleigh

e-mail: sidesk@erau.edu

Happy late Easter!  I arrived back in Daytona Beach in the evening on Easter Sunday.  I was amazed at how packed the Atlanta airport was and my plane coming back to Daytona was overbooked, so they were asking for people to give up their seats and take a plane the next day.  Well, I gave it some thought and decided that I would give up my seat, however; they didn’t need me after all and I was able to board the crowded plane.  I am glad to be back in Florida because the weather is so much warmer here than at home.

As I mentioned in my last entry, registration has begun and this semester the whole process didn’t go as smoothly for me.  I arrived at the wrong time because the line was extremely long and then I was registering for classes that were supposedly junior level classes, so they wouldn’t register me without the instructor’s approval even though my advisor approved it.  Eventually, I got it all worked out because my advisor, Dottie, is very helpful and now after several hours of running around campus I am registered for all the classes I wanted to take.  I am planning on taking classes over the summer back home and before you register for them Embry-Riddle has to approve them or else they will not accept the credits.  I filled out all the necessary paperwork and am now okay to take classes which I am excited about!

Last week was the room selection process for next year and how this works is you are given a lottery number and the higher your number the longer you have to wait to pick a room, unless the people you are rooming with next year get a low number then they can pull you forward.  I ended up getting a really high number and so did my potential roommates, so by the time my turn came to pick a room all the dorms were practically filled.  However, I did end up getting a room in the dorm I wanted because of sheer luck and I hope I won’t have to go through the process again!

This past Friday instead of doing PT I got to go play paintball!  I had a lot more fun this time than last semester because we were in smaller groups and I had an idea of what I was doing.  I did actually manage to hit some people and in return my sweatshirt was covered in paint, but it was well worth it because my team won!  The semester is winding down for ROTC and I am pretty sure we only have about two weeks left which means Pass-In-Review and finals are coming up.

Silver Wings participated in Relay for Life this past weekend and I had a good time!  The event was held on the West Lawn and all throughout the night people walked around the path (track—but it wasn’t on the track), competed in contests, and hung out with friends.  I had never done a Relay for Life before so I wasn’t quite sure about what to expect, but I had a good time and am looking forward to doing it again next year.  Silver Wings is having their Induction Dinner next weekend and I am excited because I will be officially inducted into the organization!  Next year when you are on campus looking for a club to join, think about joining Silver Wings because it is a great service organization and you have lots of fun doing the activities and hanging out with the people.

I donated blood for the first time the other day and was surprised at how painless it really was.  I had never donated before because I hate needles and the sight of blood, but some friends convinced me to do it and I am glad I did.  Now, I plan on giving blood every time I can and you get a free t-shirt!  My classes are going well and I am starting to spend more time in the computer lab finishing up group projects.  Also, my Computer class has started Dreamweaver and I am spending several hours in the computer lab for each homework assignment.  If you have any questions, please send me an e-mail.

Until next time,

Kaleigh

e-mail:sidesk@erau.edu

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Spring Break is here and next week I will register for fall classes.  Also, I will be deciding on which residence hall that I will be living in next year.  I have a feeling that the end of the semester is going to be even crazier than the week before Spring Break.  My classes are going well and I just found out that one of my grades had posted wrong, so I am actually doing much better than what I originally thought!

Last week in AFROTC, we had Operation Bottoms Up Week (OBU) and the sophomores took over the detachment and did what the juniors and seniors normally do.  My flight received a new flight commander which was great because it allowed me to see how two different leadership styles can affect a group of people.  Overall, it was a really fun week and I am excited for my turn next year.  On another note, I retook the Physical Fitness Assessment and passed!  Yeah!!!!

Silver Wings had their Beach Clean Up last Saturday and I went along because not only did I want to help clean the beach, but I wanted to see the ocean!  I was amazed at how crowded it was since it was sort of cold and breezy!  I had never seen cars on the beach before, so I took a couple of pictures. Also, there was an ice cream truck driving up and down the beach.  After having walked up and down the beach picking up trash it was nice to have a refreshing treat.  I had remembered to put sunscreen on my face and arms, but I forgot about my legs and the backs got pretty burnt.  Next time, I will remember to put sunscreen on them!

I attended the last Honors Speaker of the year—Dr. Ruth Schwartz Cowan, who talked about genetic screening.  I thought it was a very interesting talk because she covered the history of genetic screening and the different types of genetic screening that currently exist.  I also attended a lecture given by Helen Thayer, who is an explorer.  She was the first woman to travel on foot to the magnetic North Pole, and at the age of 70 she is still going strong.  Her next adventure is to Bolivia with her 81 year old husband. They are going to document indigenous people and their cultures.  I thought it was a very inspiring talk given how much she is accomplishing at her age.  If you are interested in learning more about her, check out http://www.helenthayer.com/ .

The beach bonfire with Silver Wings was cancelled because we had a huge storm and it got really cold.  Right now, I am pretty cold because here in Illinois it is still in the winter season; however, some people think it is spring because I was in Wal-Mart and saw a lady wearing a tank top and shorts.  The temperature wasn’t even in the 50s!  Maybe, towards the end of the week it will get warmer, but I don’t really have to worry about it because I am going back to warm and sunny Florida.

Until next time,

Kaleigh

e-mail:sidesk@erau.edu

Spring Break is only two weeks away!!  All of my classes are going to have tests right before spring break, so I will be in need of a break by the time it gets here.  The good news is I only have one major paper to write for the rest of the semester and it’s for my Honors class.  I have already picked my topic and now I just have to do the research and actually write the paper.  Also, on the same topic, I have to give my class a fifteen to twenty minute PowerPoint presentation.  Hopefully, I will be able to get a good head start on it before spring break.  In my Computer class, I am going to start learning how to use Dreamweaver and create my own webpage.  I think it will be interesting because I haven’t done any webpage design before.

Last weekend I was pretty busy because Silver Wings participated in Charity House.  Charity House is an event that takes place on the West Lawn, in the center of campus, and various organizations compete against each other in building a cardboard house, relay races, Guitar Hero, and an egg drop.  The purpose of the event was to raise money for Star Shelter—the local homeless shelter.  Silver Wings decided to build a giant R2-D2 from Star Wars and I think we did a pretty good job in getting it to look like the actual one.  I will try to get a picture of the completed R2-D2, so you all can see what it looked like.  Overall, the event was a lot of fun and Silver Wings ended up taking third place.  I am looking forward to doing it again next year!

I got to go on my first flight through ROTC this weekend!  I was thrilled and enjoyed being able to take the controls for the first time!  The other person flew first to Flagler County Airport and then we landed and switched seats.  I was really nervous and it reminded me of my first time driving a car; hopefully, just like driving I will get better.  Right now, I am not so good at taxiing and if anyone was watching they were probably wondering what I was doing.  The airplane liked to wander over to the side of the runway!  I can say that I did a much better job at flying than taxiing and I would love to get my private pilot’s license someday!  My favorite part was when the instructor did a 60° turn and we were pulling 2 G’s.  I did post some pictures of the new airplane (only about 4 or 6 weeks old) and Embry-Riddle from the air.  Hopefully, I will get to do another flight this semester!

ROTC Mid-Terms are over—I passed the inspection, answered my knowledge question correctly, and did really well on the test.  I was pretty proud of myself and hope to do just as well for finals.  The PFA was last week and I was ready to take it; unfortunately, I wasn’t able to complete the test, so I have to take it sometime soon.  ROTC just set up a mentor program and you could sign up if you wanted to join, which I did.  So far, I have met with my mentor twice and I am really learning a lot about what AFROTC is like after the first two years, which I find really helpful because you know even better things are ahead.    Also, we are planning on going to the movies next week which I am looking forward to.  On Friday morning at PT, they had this event called “Big Week” where they announced who received pilot slots and who will be going to Field Training.  I enjoyed watching it because there were a lot of really excited people and it lets you know that your turn will be coming soon.

Upcoming events—besides all of my tests—include a beach clean-up with Silver Wings, the last Honors Lecture for the semester, a beach bonfire with Silver Wings, and of course Spring Break!  Last weekend, I got to go to Joe’s Crab Shack because we were celebrating a friend’s birthday.  I ordered a hamburger because even though I like seafood, I love hamburgers and it was really good! Don’t forget to take a look at my pictures!

Until next time,

Kaleigh

e-mail:sidesk@erau.edu

Happy late Valentine’s Day!  I can’t believe February is already halfway over!  School and various activities have been keeping me pretty busy, so when I looked at the calendar and saw that we only have nine weeks of school left I was shocked.  I do have great news to share—I am going to get to fly an airplane!  Through AFROTC, I was able to secure a spot on a flight to get flight time for free!  I have never taken over the controls and actually flown an airplane, so I am pretty excited!   I will let you all know how it goes in my next journal entry and I will be sure to take pictures.

On February 5th, Joe Galloway came and gave his talk.  I mentioned him in my last journal entry and how I was very excited to hear him come and talk.  Well, I wasn’t let down because he was a great speaker and by far my favorite one.  He talked about his experiences in the Vietnam War, current politics and veterans, and the process of writing his book We Were Soldiers Once – and Young.  At times during his speech, I got goose bumps on my arms because he was so passionate about his job and what he was doing that you could almost feel like you were there.

Air Force ROTC is going really well!  We have several big events happening soon including the Physical Fitness Assessment and Mid-Terms.  I have started running outside twice a week in the early morning in preparation for the fitness test and I hope that I can take a minute off my run time.  Mid-Terms consist of an inspection and a knowledge test, so I need to spend some time shining my shoes.  Also, in order to get a scholarship and commission you must have and pass a DoDMERB physical.  Some people come to school with them already done, but I didn’t and I am now going through the process.  You have to have your eyes examined and then a physical.  I had my eyes examined last week and received good news: I don’t need glasses.  My physical is this coming week and hopefully that will go just as smoothly.

As I am sure all of you already know, the Daytona 500 was this Sunday and I got to work at the racetrack for AFROTC.  My job this time was to check people’s bags to make sure they weren’t bringing in anything they weren’t supposed to.  You are not allowed to take a regular backpack into the racetrack, it must be clear.  I had several people get upset by this rule, but most people were cooperative.  Unfortunately, I got sunburned on my face and neck because we were standing out in the sun for so long.  I did get to go inside the racetrack and WOW!  We were able to get real close to the cars and the noise and speed is amazing.  I think I could definitely become a NASCAR fan!  The traffic around Daytona Beach has been horrible because of all the people in the area.  I heard the announcer at the Speedway say there was enough people in the racetrack to triple the size of Daytona Beach!   The Thunderbirds flew right over top at the beginning of the race and I love watching them because it’s amazing how they stay together!  Also, I got to hear Trisha Yearwood (a country star) sing the national anthem!  I am excited for next year’s race, but I can wait another year before it happens again.  As a part of Silver Wings, I helped sell Papa John’s Pizza outside of the racetrack.  All the people pouring out at once sure were a sight to see!  We sold out of pizza and I think we could have sold more because when we left there was still a ton of people waiting in line to get on buses to take them to their parking lots.  I believe we made quite a bit of money so that’s a good thing.

My classes are going alright but this semester my math class, Business Statistics, is a little harder.  I needed some help on my homework and the teacher’s office hours were when I had class, so I decided to get help from the peer tutor.  He was really helpfully and was able to give me some pointers on the class in general.  Lesson learned was take advantage of the tutors because they can help.  In my last entry, I mentioned how I was trying to work on my Microeconomics paper so that I wouldn’t have to work on it over Spring Break…I finished it and turned it in already!  I am really proud of myself because I usually procrastinate a lot when it comes to writing papers.

Check out my pictures because I posted some of the race!  If you have any questions you can e-mail me!

Until next time,
Kaleigh
e-mail: sidesk@erau.edu

According to Punxsutawney Phil we have six more weeks of winter ahead, but I just checked the weather and next week it’s supposed to be in the high 70s!  If you are a senior and still haven’t made the final decision of which college, then think about the weather!  Do you really want to walk to classes in the snow and freezing cold?  The past few weeks I have been busy with homework, activities, and ROTC events.

This coming week most of my classes are having tests, so I will be doing a lot of studying in the next few days.  Thankfully, I only have one test each day because two tests in one day would be a little much.  In my Marketing class, we had to get in groups and throughout the semester we will be working on a marketing plan.  The group projects really teach you a lot about your personality and how to work with various people.  For my Microeconomics class, I have to write a paper and I have been trying to work on it because I don’t want to have to do it over Spring Break.  When scheduling your classes, I recommend that you take Macroeconomics and Microeconomics back to back because they are so similar and if you take a semester off you are likely to forget a lot.  All in all, classes are going pretty well!

On Thursday, the College of Business had its grand opening and you can read a news release about the event at http://www.erau.edu/er/newsmedia/newsreleases/2008/cob.html. The Mayor of Daytona Beach was there and made a short speech about Embry-Riddle and the community.  The building is really nice and a major improvement over the old building.  I have some pictures posted, so if you can’t make it down for a tour— be sure to take a look at them.  The Honors Distinguished Speakers Series had Edward Tenner come and give a talk on January 28th about “The Unintended Dangers of Safety.”  He was quite interesting and mentioned how numerous improvements in safety sometimes aren’t as good as they seem.  The next lecture is going to be given by Joe Galloway who was a war correspondent and he wrote the book We Were Soldiers Once – and Young, which was made into the movie We Were Soldiers.  I am pretty excited to hear him talk about his experiences!

For ROTC, I worked at the Rolex 24 which is not a NASCAR race but specialty cars I think.  I didn’t get to see the race because my job was to keep people from crossing this one street.  Some people were pretty angry when we told them they were going to have to walk a little farther to cross the street!  I get to work the Daytona 500 for ROTC and hopefully, I will get to see a part of the race.  We have a monthly blood drive on campus and the various ROTC branches take turns hosting them.  In January, Air Force hosted the blood drive and they needed people to stand outside of the donation bus and try to get people to give blood.  I got several people to give blood, but I didn’t give any myself.  I don’t like needles and blood, but I am trying to get over my fears.  Next time, I am going to donate blood and I will let you all know how it goes!

Last weekend, I went with some friends to see the movie “27 Dresses” and it was really good!  This weekend was my friend’s birthday, so a bunch of us went out to eat to celebrate.  Also, Silver Wings and Arnold Air (an AFROTC club) had a picnic in the park and it was a lot of fun to just hang out.  I hope everyone has fun watching the Super Bowl—I have to watch the commercials for my Marketing class!  Don’t forget to check out the pictures and if you have any questions e-mail me!

Until next time,

Kaleigh

e-mail:sidesk@erau.edu

Happy New Year! On Monday I am heading back to Florida and warm weather! There wasn’t much snow while I was home here in Illinois but it was below zero several times.

Classes start on Wednesday and I am ready to get started! This semester I am taking: Advanced Computer Based Systems, Marketing, Microeconomics, Business Statistics, Honors class, and my AFROTC class.

I am hoping my Computer class this semester will be more in-depth than last semester’s. My Honors class is about neuroscience and I think it is going to be a lot of fun.

I know 2008 will be great for all of us!
Well, I don’t have much to talk about but if you have any questions feel free to e-mail me.

Until next time, Kaleigh

e-mail: sidesk@erau.edu