Category Archives: 2008 – 2009

October 11, 2008

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On Tuesday, my flight got together to review our knowledge and prepare our uniforms for Mid-Terms. We played the Jeopardy game that another cadet and I put together, which was a lot of fun! Also, we shared shoe shining and uniform tips with the freshman. We all answered our knowledge questions correctly during the Open Ranks Inspection on Wednesday and we did alright on the quiz. Thursday was quite interesting because towards evening it got really cool compared to what the temperature was that day. I was in the library and when I looked outside I thought the sky looked kind of green and I heard someone mention the word “tornado,” so I decided I would head back to my room. The sky looked like tornado weather and then I heard the safety people say, “Take shelter. A tornado warning is in effect.” Everyone was pretty fascinated with the weather and we stood near the windows and doors to watch, (not the brightest thing to do!!) and safety wasn’t too happy about it. All in all, we were stuck on the first floor of my dorm for about thirty minutes. The funny part was people were already planning on what they would do if we didn’t have school on Friday.

Tuesdays and Thursdays I go to math tutoring and that Thursday was no exception. Since I am a regular at tutoring, I usually see the same people in there week after week and that day I started talking to someone new; I enjoy meeting new people and it gives me another reason to go to tutoring. PT on Friday was pretty intense because we did all static (pushups and abs) for about 40 minutes. The next day my arms were sore but I got to go shopping in Orlando, so they didn’t bother me too much! Orlando has a huge outlet mall and some of my girlfriends and I decided we needed to do some serious shopping-Daytona Beach has a mall located across from campus but it’s not that big. We had a good time shopping and hanging out! I also went to my first hockey game that night but I only got to see two minutes of the game because a generator broke and the ice started melting, so they had to stop the game. I’m looking forward to the next one!

Until next time,
Kaleigh

October 6, 2008

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Hello everyone, I hope your October has been going well. This semester definitely has been an exciting one for me. Now that you have an idea of what my classes are like, I would like to introduce you to the wonderful world of flight instructing. I have been a flight instructor for Embry-Riddle for a little over a year now. All I have to say is wow, I love my job! What more can I ask for? My office is either a classroom or a cockpit. I am an instrument flight instructor during the evenings, but I also teach other flight courses when I have free time. My primary work day begins around 5, and I am typically done around 8. No matter how much stress is in my life, when I teach, everything stays behind. As soon as I step foot in the airplane, it is just me, my student, an incredible machine, and the most beautiful scenery you have ever seen. There is nothing more rewarding than teaching the student the wonderful world of flight. The best part of it all is that I learn so much from flight instructing. When I am sitting in the cockpit watching the student, I can apply everything he/she does to my future students and my personal flying techniques. I definitely would recommend this job to anyone! I don’t work a day in my life.

This semester has also provided me with wonderful opportunities. Two weeks ago I applied for the Team Safety Leader position in the flight department. The flight department is divided into 7 teams. These teams consist of a supervisor and roughly 30 flight instructors. Each team has a TSL. A TSL represents these 30 flight instructors to the director of safety. If there is a safety related issue, flight instructors and students can go to a TSL for help. The responsibility of a TSL is to demonstrate the highest quality of safety in everyday operations. Well, last week, I was appointed the TSL position for Team 7!!! I am so excited for this wonderful opportunity. I have always been interested in flight safety. My first real-world application of safety was last summer during my internship with Continental Airlines. I worked all summer in the safety department as many of you already know. Now, I can continue this work at my favorite flight department! I can’t wait to contribute to Embry-Riddle’s incredible safety culture.

I hope everyone has a great week. I’m going to get ready for class. In my next entry, I’ll give you an update on my classes. I begin my first round of tests this week. Wish me luck!

October 6, 2008

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What an experience this has been. I think it’s just starting to sink in that I am in college now! I finally get to live my dream of becoming a pilot. The past couple of weeks were just simply amazing. As I said in my last post, I have started my flight training and it has been the best experience of my life. I am learning so much from my instructor and I have a blast during my lessons. Now I can’t take my mind of flying, I am so addicted. In my other classes, however, we are starting to get into the core of the course and the real heavy-duty work is starting to emerge. I already have a few big papers due and I am pretty nervous. I have to do a 7 page paper for my IT 109 (Introduction to Computers and Applications) class. I also have a 2 page paper due for my COM 122 (English Composition and Literature) class. I also took a few tests. Last Thursday, October 2, I took my first test in Pre-Calculus and today I had my second test in Private Pilot Operations. I have no doubt that I passed them!

Outside of school work, there is so much to do on and off campus. I am still involved with the newspaper, TFO and First Generation. First Generation had its first trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral this past Saturday October 4. I was unable to go but a few of my friends did and they enjoyed it! TFO is starting to get a few things started on campus. We are currently looking at ways we can gain more members and also ways in which we can fundraise. And as for the newspaper, The Avion, things are getting crazy! We are usually in the newspaper every Sunday from 1 till whenever, slaving to produce the newspaper for which our staff has won so many awards. Even though it consumes so much of my time, it’s a very rewarding experience and it makes you feel proud when you see your name in print. Apart from clubs, I and my friends have been to the beach a lot! We play volleyball, play on the sand and do some reading or just for fun, dig a hole and bury someone in it! Sometimes when we are bored in our rooms, we either play flight simulator or play musical instruments.

As for my roommate, he was trying out for the flight team. However his efforts did not earn him a spot on the team, but he does have the ability to go to practices if he wants. He is a little disappointed that he didn’t make the team but he now has time to get more work done and have a flexible schedule.

Even though I am having so much fun on campus, I still think about home a lot. I am starting to accept that I am away from family, and I realize it’s not a bad experience. Being far from home is teaching me a lot about being a responsible person and being able to take care of myself. I call home a lot and everyone there is so proud of me, and that motivates me every day to get up and get my work done.

I hope you guys are being successful in your college search. Don’t be a stranger, shoot me an email or an instant message and I will be more than happy to answer any questions you have.

Until next time!

October 5, 2008

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It is already October. I am amazed at how fast this semester is flying by (no pun intended). Classes continue to progress, and it is sometimes hard to keep up. However, I have done enough studying and I haven’t missed a single class, so I am pleased with my grades. One of my classes continues to give me more troubles than the others, but I am working very hard to fix the problem.

Task Force One is really kicking into high gear. In our last two meetings we have discussed all sorts of things. One thing we are preparing for is homecoming, where we will be competing against other clubs in chalk-art and float building contests. Each club on campus has chosen a board game (the theme of this fall’s homecoming) and has to use that theme for their creations. Also, we have proposed t-shirt designs and discussed our first campus and community service activities.

My mother and sister came to visit this past weekend from Missouri. They visited campus and my dorm room and met a few of my new friends. Although I am not homesick, it was very nice to see some familiar faces again. We had a lot of fun, and they enjoyed their tour I gave them of Daytona Beach. Also, I finally had someone to cheer with me for the Mizzou Tigers football game!

My intramural volleyball team has played two games so far this fall. Although we have lost both games, one of them was very close. We continue to improve, and one of these weeks I am hoping for a victory. Intramural sports are a great way to get involved and have fun. I have met a lot of people by playing volleyball, and it is great to be active during the week. It is amusing to watch some of the volleyball matches because there are teams with differing amounts of skill. Some teams have obviously played competitively, while others are pretty much terrible. However, everyone has a good time.

I thought I would give another update on our toilet situation. After writing my last journal, the toilet proceeded to break down the next day. After A LOT of laughs, we sent in our maintenance request and the toilet was fixed the next day. Two days later, and the toilet goes out of service AGAIN. At this point we know the maintenance workers and they know exactly what has happened when they see our room number. Once again it was promptly fixed the next morning. Since then, our toilet has been running for almost 10 days! How great! The positives of this situation: we know exactly how to fill out a maintenance request and we are in close contact with our Resident Assistant.

Although I didn’t mention it, my friends and I went spotting in Orlando a few weeks ago and I thought I would include a few pictures for the airplane lovers (like myself) to enjoy. The weather is still great in Daytona and I am still very happy at Embry-Riddle. Let me know if there are any questions I can answer.

Until next time,
Mack

October 5, 2008

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Wow, it’s hard to believe that we are already half way through the semester! I’m always amazed at how fast time flies once classes get started because the first two weeks seem to take forever, then you blink and the semester is already over. This coming week we are having Air Force mid-terms which means an inspection and knowledge quiz. I remember for my first mid-term I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect for the quiz, so this year another kid in my flight and I are putting together a game of Jeopardy to help everyone study. For this journal entry, I’ve decided to try out a new format to shake things up and hopefully include more information; however, if you want to know something more about college life or AFROTC feel free to send me an e-mail.

Until next time,
Kaleigh

October 4, 2008

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I think all of the sleep helped because on Sunday I was feeling a little better and I went to the Arnold Air Beach Bash. Every year Arnold Air puts on a picnic at the beach and invites everyone in AFROTC and Silver Wings. I played some beach volleyball and had a good time hanging out with friends. That afternoon I went to Extra Drill and found out that I would be in charge of marching the flight on Wednesday. I was pretty nervous about it because I didn’t want to make a lot of mistakes in front of everyone. So I practiced a little at Extra Drill and decided not to think about it too much and focus more on my upcoming Economics test. My study partner and I met up in the library and studied for a couple of hours. The day of the Economics test arrives—I get the test and see the questions and think to myself, “I can do this! I know the answers to these questions!” Anyhow, my studying paid off because I got a 94% and I was so proud of myself! Wednesday morning—marching the flight—I did an okay job overall, but I did make a few big mistakes and several people let me know that I was not doing things correctly; however, I know what I need to work on so next time I can do better. Silver Wings participated in the Heart Walk on Friday night and I forgot to take my camera, so I don’t have any pictures. The Heart Walk is a community event that raises money for the American Heart Association and many Embry-Riddle clubs participated. After walking on the beach, we went to UNOs—a pizza place—because Arnold Air and Silver Wings were holding a fundraiser there to raise money for our conference in November. I had a good time eating pizza and talking to friends. The Women’s Center hosted a trip to Kennedy Space Center on Saturday and I had a really good time. I had only been there one time before, when I was six, and I didn’t really remember anything. I posted some pictures so take a look!

That pretty much sums up the past two weeks and the next two weeks look like they will be just as busy! A note to all high school seniors—start turning in your college applications and think about visiting the campus on October 25 for the Open House.

Until next time,
Kaleigh

October 4, 2008

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Hey guys!
There is bad news and good news. My computer crashed so there won’t be any pictures until I can get it fixed because my other computer doesn’t have a place for the camera’s memory card. Good news is I might be able to find a way to get them to you by using another computer. So if there are pictures, I got lucky!

Anyways… I went on my first flight the other night in the Piper Seminole.. it was AMAZING! The weather was absolutely perfect and I went with my friend Sherman (who is in the pictures when I can get them up). He is working on his multi-commercial right now and we went on a cross country to St. Pete airport and back. I got to wear a headset and listen to the tower and everything. It was awesome! The past week has been a little crazy. I have had a test in almost every class. I am very happy that tomorrow is Friday!

On the other hand, I have been trying out for the flight team the past few weeks and I find out tomorrow in my mail box if I made the team or not. I am really scared… I might not even go get my mail tomorrow I am so nervous! I really want to make the team, but we will see. One of my room mates got asked by one of our friends to go to the Navy ball with him this month so we are going to go pick out a dress for her sometime soon. That should be fun!!! I can’t believe how fast this semester is going by though, it is already October! I can’t wait for Thanksgiving, I need some good home-cooked food!!! I am supposed to be doing a heart walk tomorrow night with the Catholic Student Union but I think it might be hard because I wore high heels to my interview for the flight team yesterday and I got 4 blisters. Yes FOUR from walking from my room to the COA (College of Aviation). That is it for now… find me on facebook if you have questions look under Elizabeth Marie. I will try to get those pictures in as well… If not I will put them up next time!!! Have a good safe week guys!

September 27, 2008

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The Relay for Life committee met on Monday and we are now trying to recruit all the clubs on campus to sign up and have a team. This coming Monday we are going to be holding Early Registration, so it’ll be exciting to see how well our recruiting efforts worked. In my last entry, I mentioned how my group for Management of Production and Operations class was waiting for our topic to be approved. Well, we got our topic—American Airlines—which means it’s time to get started on the paper. We all decided to have the paper completely finished by November 1st; in order to turn it in early and have time for revisions. I need to get started on my research this week! For PT, we were supposed to go on a Beach Run but the tide was too high and instead, we had to run around campus. On Wednesday for Lead Lab, we had a Warrior Competition between all the flights and my flight WON! The competition consisted of marching around campus to various areas and then participating in drill evaluations, proper uniform wear, and spirit competitions.

Airport Management Club had their meeting at the Daytona International Airport and we got to hear the Director of Aviation speak about his job. I enjoyed listening to him because he has been working at the airport for a long time and was able to tell us how some of the advancements in technology have made his job easier and harder. I’m so glad that I joined Airport Management Club because it allows for me to connect with people in my major. For instance, my Managerial Economics class is pretty hard and I needed someone to study with but there are only ten people in my class and I don’t know any of them. However, a girl in Airport Management Club is taking the same class, only at a different time, so we made plans to study together. On Friday, a group of girls and I decided we needed to take a break from all the boys and have a Girls Night Out. We went out to dinner and a movie—Nights in Rodanthe. I thought the movie was really good, but next time we are going to go see a funny, uplifting movie. The next day I woke up and my throat was extremely sore and I had a really bad headache. Unfortunately, everyone has been getting sick. You walk into the computer lab and everyone is coughing or sneezing and then the germs just sort of spread to everyone. I was able to study a little for my Economics test, but I spent most of the day sleeping.

Until next time,
Kaleigh

September 23, 2008

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I realize my first blog was kind of a throw in your face, so I figured I would back track a bit and let you know who that person was telling you what to do. I am Heather Owen, a nearly-graduated senior in the Communications Department with a specialty in International Relations. Following my December graduation, I plan on applying to the State Department to begin work towards becoming a U.S. diplomat.

Wait…did I say Communications? Do they even have that at Riddle? News flash: Riddle isn’t just airplanes. I have been in the program for four and a half years.

I am always asked “why Embry-Riddle for the Communications Department?” Well, I have always loved to write. I love giving speeches. Oh, and I kind of enjoy airplanes. However, though I knew I liked these topics, I didn’t quite know what I “wanted to be when I grew up.” I quickly found the Communications Department had plenty to offer. Along with the typical public relations/marketing/journalism curriculum of any other collegiate communications department, Riddle offers an aviation specialty, a niche with many openings, yet few applicants.

Even though I graduate in seventy-six days (not like I am counting), I am not nervous. Graduates from the program have gone into broadcast journalism, aviation-related journalism, public relations, and even law school. None of which is my career path, but the diversity of our program is what makes me a strong post-graduate applicant.

A diploma from the “Harvard of the Sky” alone will open doors, but it has been the experiences I have had that will get my name on the corner office door. Internships and co-ops are the best and easiest way to gain first-hand knowledge. In addition to Career Services, I found my internships thanks to help within my department. The student-to-faculty ratio in the Communications Department is very small, so I quickly got to know all of my professors. As it turned out, I have had that handful of professors for all four years. It was these same instructors who were instrumental in finding me internships and helping me find my career path.

Because I was still on the fence about careers up until my senior year, I took two internships to better acquaint myself with the communications career field. For my first internship, I spent my 2006 summer working for WESH 2 News, located in Daytona Beach. I was on the call with the reporters, riding shotgun in the news van on the way to fires, robberies and homicides. I sat in on court cases, interviewed city officials and visited such fine institutions such as the Volusia County Jail to interview fine, law-abiding residents. I admit the fast-paced dramatics, and getting to “know all the dirt” truly interested me. However, I wasn’t ready to acquire the stigma of a TV news reporter. My second internship this past spring had me working in the Embry-Riddle Athletics Department with the Sports Information Department. I had been in the Athletics Department for four years as a cheerleader, so I was very appreciative to work with those who also supported the Eagles. As a sports marketing intern, I updated statistics, wrote biographies on the players and taped important games. I enjoyed the press passes to games, setting up early morning track meets, and cheering on the Eagles, but I had one big issue. Although I have been a cheerleader for eleven years, I just don’t like sports. I don’t understand them, like to watch them or even care to talk about them. Despite striking out on potential future careers, I learned a lot from the two internships. I found the positives and negatives about the communications field so when I do land a job, I will know what to look for.

So now my senior year. I was set to graduate with a prominent degree, had two internships, had participated in a few activities here and there and gained a few future job insights. However, I wasn’t content with the content of my resume. So, in an utterly rash move which I thoroughly rejoiced about later, I decided to do study abroad and push off graduation. I spent five weeks of my summer in China, speaking Chinese, learning about Chinese culture and just enjoying a culture shock. I continued my education with another three weeks in Prescott studying Chinese.

From the moment I got back to Daytona, I had a path. I want to travel the world. I want to speak foreign languages. I want to play a part in international relations. I want to know the scoop. Oh, and I want a press pass to a non-sport activity (just one of my job insights). Diplomacy is my answer and the State Department will receive my newly minted resume in December. Along with the study abroad on my resume, I also added that I am a sister in the Theta Omicron chapter of Alpha Xi Delta, sweetheart to the Eta Iota chapter of Sigma Chi, cheered for three and a half years at Riddle and am now a devoted student. I am conversant in German and I like to think my English is decent too. Better than a list of do’s and don’ts from a lowly Communications major, huh?

September 22, 2008

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Hey guys!

It’s Sunday night, I spent the weekend with my family at my grandparents for my grandfather’s birthday!!! I had so much fun, I missed them all so much and my family means the world to me. My baby cousin who is sooooo cute was there, his name is Mario and he is a year and a half old. I couldn’t get a good picture of him or I would put on up for you guys. Anyways, back to class tomorrow. My day starts at 8 a.m. so I will be trying to go to bed early.

For all of you considering aeronautical science as a major, I was supposed to go up on an observation flight with one of my roommates on Thursday but it got cancelled because her instructor was sick so it is being push to 2 weeks from now. I will let you know how it goes as soon as I get to go and will definitely have pictures up. I had a weather test this past Friday and let me tell you, weather is not as easy as I thought. I studied for hours with my roommate and we both did pretty badly. So, if you guys have to take weather classes like most of us here do, make sure you read the book and study hard!!!! There are so many “maybes” it threw me off, I am really hoping my professor made a mistake when he put my grade in though or something because I studied so hard and was so ready!!! I checked all my answers two times and still finished the test a half hour early!

OH, back to my trip home, I got to see my puppy!! I was so excited he’s so cute! I have a picture of him for you to see his name is Toto and he is a Yorkie-schnauzer mix. He jumped all over me the second I walked into the door, it was cute. I have a ton of work to do this week, I hope it dies down by the weekend so I can finally get some rest but for now this is all I can write. I will try to get pictures up of the observation flight and write about it as soon as it happens. Besides going study crazy nothing interesting has happened lately. So that’s it for now!!!

*Elizabeth*