October 17, 2008

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Hey guys!
It’s Friday again THANK GOODNESS! I have been so busy this week. I have a physics test to take today at 11:45. I have been studying like crazy for it! I voted in my first ever presidential election yesterday… I am mailing it out today! (see photo) The state of Florida, of course, has to have huge envelopes that cost a whole dollar to mail you can’t just use a normal stamp! Also, there are soo many things I had to vote for, I actually sealed the envelope without putting the second page of the ballot in. I had to open it as soon as I realized it, I hope they still take it.

I know I told you all that I was trying out for the flight team and I found out that day that I made the team which was exciting! Actually one of the guys on the team said their Dad read one of my journals so hello to Spencer’s father if you are reading this one! Registration is coming up soon for next semester so I have meet with my advisor once about classes and I have to meet him again next week….picking classes doesn’t get any easier either. However, my advisor just so happens to be my weather professor (McNally). I am definitely taking his WX301 next semester and I’d recommend him to everyone, he’s a great teacher and very funny. Other than that class I am at a loss for now. I am going to get my private pilot at home this summer then when I come back in the fall I will start doing my instrument rating I guess. I have been trying to keep up with the MLB playoffs and I realllllllyyy hope that the Rays make it. Just because I HATE the Red Sox. I would have rather seen the Yankees make the playoffs but that was a lost cause about half way through the season. On a brighter note the Ohio State vs. Michigan game is this Saturday and that always makes for a good game! I am going to add some pictures from last time that I couldn’t get up because of my computer.. which is still not working =[

Have a good week…. and goodbye for now!

October 14, 2008

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In my first blog, I told the new freshman to get out of the dorms and visit Central Florida. For those of you that will come down for a visit, it is important to not only have a tour of campus, but also to visit what Central Florida has to offer. While some will say there is absolutely nothing to do in Daytona Beach, it is just because they have done it already and eventually the sound of racecars, motorcycles and spring breakers does become redundant. I am from Port Orange, about 10 minutes outside of Daytona Beach so I can understand. However, I like to visit a few of the lesser known and well-known attractions. But first, the traditional Daytona attractions.

    1. DAYTONA’S NASCAR Raceway: Car racing is what made Daytona Beach famous. After shifting from to the World’s Most Famous Beach to the raceway in 1959, Daytona has managed to remain the epicenter of automobile racing. However, unless you come down during a scheduled race, it will be difficult to truly get the racing experience that so many Riddle students get throughout the year. Luckily, Daytona USA can fill that NASCAR desire year round. In the compound connected to the raceway, you can learn to change tires like the pit crews, simulate driving in a race and try to walk up the racetrack’s 31 degree embankment. When I went, I couldn’t change the tire, finished last in my race and managed to fall up the raceway, quickly learning the word road rash. But, it sure beat sitting in the Grandstands in 100 degree weather next to Bubba and Billy who have not showered since Jeff Gordon was last liked in Daytona (hint: never).
    2. Driving on Daytona Beach: To continue your racing adventure, do like past racers and take advantage of an activity unique to Daytona’s coast. Though you will have to drive a sluggish 10 mph, it sure beats lugging around your beach necessities. I love lazy beach days, especially those where I literally drive to my spot, open my trunk and worship the sun for the next few hours. You just can’t get a lazier beach day.
    3. The Museum of Arts and Sciences: Hidden on Nova road, about three minutes from campus, is a little bit of refinement in Daytona at the Museum of Arts and Sciences. The museum houses many permanent cultural exhibits which include African, Cuban and Chinese art. It also has a section devoted to everything Americana and Coca-Cola and an upcoming Barbie exhibit. Take a walk in the 2.5 acre sculpture garden or stroll through the Florida History exhibit. Enjoy the 13-foot tall giant ground sloth fossil or sit back in the planetarium for a presentation of the stars set to the Beatles. It is $10.95 for Riddle students, but it is a small price to pay to beat the heat.
    4. Ocean Walk: Whether you want to see the latest movie, eat at Bubba Gump’s or see a concert at the Bandshell, Ocean Walk is all-inclusive. One of the most popular hot spots, it is located about 10 minutes from campus. Park in the parking garage across the street and take the walk-over to a dining and viewing treat.
    5. Ponce DeLeon Inlet Lighthouse: This is my favorite activity in Volusia County. Drive about 20 minutes down A1A from Ocean Walk to where you can drive no more. It costs $5 to check out the 121-year-old lighthouse, but it is worth the 175-foot climb. After getting your exercise, head over to the Lighthouse Landing Restaurant and Raw Bar for some shark or gator and a walk on the dock to check out the fisherman’s latest catch.

If you have time to leave Daytona, head down to Orlando for these next attractions:

    1. Orlando Theme Parks: Deemed the “Happiest Place on Earth”, Disney seems to be the main attraction for every holiday to Florida. By the looks of post-Disney travelers in the Orlando airport, it also seems to be the happiest most exhausting adventure. Every parent, weighed down with Mickey souvenirs, has bags under their eyes while they are trying to reign in their Mouse-eared children. While my first trip to Disney World wasn’t after I won the Super Bowl, I was equally excited to be those little kids again. I bought a princess crown, gathered autographs from the characters and snuggled with Goofy at Breakfast with the Characters. But, there are so many more places to visit. My personal favorite is “Eating/Drinking around the World” at Epcot. Get a group of friends together and bounce between each represented country, stopping to enjoy the native food or beverage of choice, served by a native of the represented country. Brush up on your linguistic skills and walk through the eleven cultural pavilions, which include Japan, Norway and Mexico. So, whether you eat couscous in Morocco, drink tea in England or slurp up spaghetti in Italy, be sure to come thirsty or “Hungary.” After you fill you bellies, take a roller coaster ride in Universal, learn to growl at Animal Kingdom or get crowned at Disney World. You wouldn’t want to be the only person in the Orlando airport without Mickey Mouse ears, would you?
    2. City Walk: Once you enter big person land again, head to Universal City Walk for some grown up transitions. The area has everything from an IMAX theater to watch the latest Batman movie to dancing to reggae at the tribute to Bob Marley. If you don’t yet feel like growing up, you can play in paint alongside the Blue Man group or play alongside kids in the in-ground fountains.
    3. Cirque Du Soleil: Though tickets start at $52, the updated circus entertainment is well worth the price. No matter what seats you get, it is a front row, high-flying adventure of the five senses. Watch tight rope walkers skip along thin pieces of metal or ten-year-old Chinese acrobats do back flips off each other while keeping their Yo-Yos spinning. After the show, hop over next door to House of Blues to catch bands like All-American Rejects, Panic! At the Disco, MayDay Parade, and Rise Against. There are few seats, but there is no bad view of the stage.
    4. Mall at Millenia: Yes, I am a girl and I like to shop, especially at the Mall at Millenia. I claim it to be the “Second Happiest Place on Earth” (just following the Mall at America). Located at Exit78 just off of I-4, the Mall at Millenia is uniquely, yet easily, set up. When you walk into the mall, to the right is the affordable stores like Abercrombie and Express. To the left are the stores that have security guards on detail, like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. In the middle is a large food court with Cheesecake Factory and the Blue Martini. So, whether you want to actually buy something at Forever 21, Hollister or Zara or just dream in Burberry, Tiffany’s or Jimmy Choo, go for the shopping or go for the drooling. It sure beats the Daytona Mall.
    5. Mystery Theater: I love CSI: Vegas and Miami and always find myself guessing the killer well before Gil Grissom or Horatio Caine utter their accusations. If you are like me, Murder Watch Mystery Dinner Theater offers plays to get you involved first hand into the murder solving. They offer many different show topics and always include audience participation.

Finally, if Orlando is too touristy, take about an hour drive from Daytona to the next three places:

    1. St. Augustine: About an hour and half outside of Daytona, along A1A, is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city, St. Augustine. Located on a port and protected by the Fort Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine is now a historical and shopping hub. It is also home to Riddle’s greatest rival, Flagler College. In spite of the university, St. Augustine is beautiful whether you want to walk the cobble stone streets in search of shopping or spirits. I strongly suggest a visit to the fort, taking a ghost tour of the town or eating at my favorite restaurant, Columbia, for their plantains. Don’t forget your cameras either. You never know what might appear in the photographs later.
    2. Air Force Space & Missile Museum: Ok, so we go to an aviation school so what better place to visit than Cape Canaveral, home to many shuttle launches. The museum, located in nearby Kennedy Space Center, houses numerous historical space devices such as the one used to launch Alan Shepard and Virgil “Gus” Grissom into space. Take a drive around their Rocket Garden, home to the largest collection of rockets, missiles and other space related hardware. The Mercury Redstone and Jupiter C rockets are in permanent display and one of only two complete German V-2 engines lies in the Exhibit Hall. Go to see where aviation has been and where it is headed.
    3. Blue Springs: What is more Floridian than swimming with manatees? Ok, maybe hurricanes, flamingos and octogenarians are a bit more Floridian, but Blue Springs is non-destructive. The name alone tries to do the clear, blue water justice, but experiencing the 72 degree water is the only way to fully appreciate it. Go during a hot summer day to cool off or on a Florida-winter day to scuba dive. Whenever you come, the water temperature does not change.

If you have done it all during your trip or just want to plan some more trips for your next visit, here are some additional websites for other activities.

http://www.touristflorida.com/other.html – a good website for some more attractions.

http://www.daytonabeach.com/whattosee.cfm – can find special events for when you are here or just more ideas

Just remember, there are lots of things to do in Daytona Beach or the surrounding areas. You just have to know how to find them. And now you do.

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