Wrapping Up & Recapping

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Merrick

Happy August everyone! I am currently blogging from the road to Daytona Beach on an approximately 11 hour drive from Virginia Beach, Virginia back to ERAU-DB for the Fall 2020 semester (amidst a pandemic)! I will be recapping on my summer and my past week.

I am recently finishing up a slew of tests and final exams for the second semester of my ARB 406 Class – Advanced Arabic II, that I took this summer online through Project Global Officer (Project GO) via the University of Arizona. It has been a BUSY week to say the least, and a busy summer, and a busy year, but for now let’s focus on this past week leading up to my journey back to campus. I am arriving early this year because I have Resident Advisor (RA), Orientation Team (O-Team), Student Government Association (SGA) Student Court, and Peer Mentor Training for my position in University 101 (UNIV – 101) courses this year. I’m sure August will fly by, I have no problem staying busy!

This past week, I had two reading/writing tests for one hour each, a comprehensive two hour final exam, a three hour reading and listening test, an oral video project in Moroccan Arabic dialect, and an Oral Proficiency Interview for Project GO.

I’m definitely ending a chapter of my summer life, as the past two months Monday through Friday I’ve been in class, meetings, tutoring, language partner sessions, and study hall from 11:30am until 7:00pm everyday, not including homework, studying, projects, virtual zoom tours around the city in Meknes, Morocco on the weekends, cooking clubs, and cultural activities like guest speakers, presentations, and movies. When I tell people I took summer classes online, they don’t anticipate that I spent over 40 hours a week as culturally and linguistically “immersed” as I could be without leaving the USA. Because my routine was so busily scheduled recently, this past summer flew by for me! Things that have kept me sane were weekends in the backyard with my family, and cooking delicious vegan comfort food with my mother.

Vegan nachos via my mom and my dinner endeavors during my last week of final exams for my summer Arabic class.

A pool day this past summer with my family!

The highlight of my summer was definitely spending it (virtually of course) in class with my friends speaking Arabic, going surfing at sunrise before my classes began, and discovering workout videos on Youtube (Popsugar Fitness and YogaWithAdriene are my faves!).

Some of my classes have already switched to online and it will definitely be strange to wear a mask around campus now, but I feel hopeful about the Fall semester and excited to embrace the changes needed to keep us safe!

Keep on keeping on folks, stay safe, and I will report back soon!

Routines & Realizations

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Merrick

Happy July everyone! I am currently blogging from Virginia Beach, Virginia and I am loving the hot weather, despite having online classes that I keep me inside for most of the days.

The year 2020 in general has looked abnormal for a lot of people. I was originally supposed to be studying Arabic from Meknes, Morocco but right now I have officially finished my first semester of an intensive advanced Arabic course online through Project GO with the University of Arizona, which is how I spend 40+ hours a week dedicating my time.

When I’m not studying, in class, doing homework, meeting with professors, tutors, and language partners on Zoom calls I have had the amazing opportunity to go surfing in the mornings at sunrise. I even saw some dolphins in the water very close to my board recently! Moments like that remind me, despite how limiting my rigorous school schedule is all year round, it’s up to me to find a balance where I am enjoying life and finding happiness despite current situations.

Additionally, one of my favorite life hacks for online class is realizing that I can position my laptop on my kitchen counter while I’m in class so I can stand instead of sit which makes a HUGE difference in my overall mood and how my body feels (considering its approximately 8+ hours a day on Zoom calls).

I’ve been finding solace in working out with my friends or my sister from different parts of the country via Zoom, listening to music, podcasts, or classic Disney movies while I bake, and going for bike rides.

I have really been loving roasting vegetables and baking because they make the entire house smell delicious while I’m inside all day and then I have delicious food to eat when I finish studying! Recently I’ve endeavored on vegan dark chocolate brownies, banana bread (2 different recipes), and a banana tarte tatin inspired by Nadiya’s Time To Eat on Netflix.

More vegan treats! From top left to right: more banana bread, almond vanilla berry puff pastries, dark chocolate brownies with walnuts and chocolate chips, and banana tarte tatin inspired by Nadiya’s Time To Eat on Netflix!

The plants that are thriving and keeping me sane in the garden recently are three types of basil, rosemary, beets, peppers (bell, banana, and jalapeño), beets, asparagus, thyme, and a plethora of other beauties that are bringing my happiness during this time.

I’ve also been trying to keep a semi-solid morning routine by waking up and putting a face mask or letting a face wash sit while I set essential oil diffusers, light candles, burn incense, start making coffee, do morning yoga, meditate, and/or read or write for a few minutes then continue on my day with either watering the plants, working out, going surfing, finishing some homework or last minute studying, and making breakfast.

My days are usually pretty packed until the late evenings around 7pm when I do another short workout and some yoga before showering, finishing up more homework/studying, eating dinner and repeating the process. In the chaos and long days my free time in the mornings are definitely my most favorite and sacred part of my day where I get to reflect and connect with my wellbeing before channeling my energy towards school all day.

Keep on keeping on folks, stay safe, and I will report back soon into my second semester of intense online advanced arabic!

The Beach and the Sand

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Brittney

We are officially halfway done with summer B which is only 6 weeks long but it sure does make you have a busy 6 weeks of studies. These first 3 weeks have been so busy going to class every day and cramming 15 weeks of materials into less than half the time. Being halfway done and so close to being in my last semester calls for a well-needed break, so I decided to head to the beach. With current times, it is the most important thing to remain social distancing everywhere and continue to measure the dangers of activities. This means my friends and I struggled a little bit to be able to find a beach that was very uncrowded and without a doubt we found one at Ormond Beach. Everyone was very respectful and we were all at least 12-15 ft apart and there were not many large groups. It was very comforting to see people adhering to the new public etiquette practices and made me feel a lot safer at the beach. It was the perfect afternoon. The sun stayed out for the whole day, the waves were soothing to hear, and water was the perfect temperature. I could not have thought of a better way to relax with a couple of friends. It was a nice and safe way to be off campus for a short period of time and allowed us to get some sun.

Now that my lovely beach afternoon is done, I am headed back to my studies to finish the semester off strong and prepare myself for my final semester this fall. This summer has been very different, but I am glad to be taking it easy before the hustle of the fall semester. I cannot wait to see what this fall holds for me and my friends here at Embry-Riddle.

Back to School!

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Brittney

Summer B in-person classes have just started, and I have been preparing for this week by getting hand sanitizer, masks with filter, and travel Lysol wipes to bring with me to class. Being in-person for class after the quarantine was different, to say the least, but a good different to ease into the new social norm of wearing face masks and social-distancing.

Before I even went to class, I got my mandatory wellness check like I have been all summer. Today, there was someone who checked to make sure I had my wellness check done on my way into the engineering building where my class was being held, and they were ready to take anyone’s temperature who had not already gotten one. The professor came into class and had a clear face shield for us to be able to see his full face. The class went very well, and we all cleaned our computer stations with Lysol wipes before we left the classroom for the day. All of this may seem like a lot, but it is good to have the new cleaning and social standards on campus and to know that both faculty and staff are looking out for each other.

Me social distancing and wearing a mask in class

This past week has been a nice way to prepare to come back in the fall, and see what is expected for when more students are here. I am hopeful that this summer semester will go smoothly, and I am faithful everyone will help each other stay safe and healthy by wearing masks and social distancing. I am excited to see everyone come back for the fall and resume a more normal social and school life than the past few months have provided. Stay safe everyone, and remember to wear a mask, wash your hands often, and social distance!

Announcements & Roles

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Merrick

Happy June everyone! I am currently blogging from Virginia Beach, VA and I found out I’m going to be a Peer Mentor for University 101 (UNIV 101) for the Fall 2020 semester! University 101 is a class exactly what it sounds like, essentially a “How-To” for the behind the scenes (ie paperwork) side of college navigation, a *sometimes* confusing yet necessary aspect of university life. Most engineering students take this course, while Aeronautical Science, Aviation, and Business students attend a slightly different version of the class catered towards their unique degree paths.

A Peer Mentor for UNIV 101 is a leadership position available to graduate and undergraduate students as a learning coach, student advocate, trusted peer, and source of information about the University and its offerings/resources. I like to see it as an extension of being on Orientation Team as an O Team Ambassador. In this position I will be in the UNIV 101 class sessions (sort of like a Teacher’s Assistant) and help students become familiar with university resources such as ERNIE, Canvas, and Campus Solutions. I will be an additional resource for answering questions like locating advisor information, finding the course catalog, online registration, navigating placement evaluations, and Academic Study Plans!

In Air Force ROTC we make academic study plans mapping out our classes for each semester up until graduation, which is very helpful in ensuring you meet all of your course requirements for a timely graduation and something that the UNIV 101 course immensely facilitates and provides resources to help you plan and communicate with your Academic Advisor.

Recently reflecting, I realized I hold a lot of leadership positions on campus.

I am a Student Blogger (of course),

a Resident Advisor (RA),

an Orientation Team Ambassador (O Team Ambassador),

a Student Government Association (SGA) Student Court Associate Justice where I am the acting Clerk (essentially a spokesperson),

in Air Force ROTC with the leadership position I am assigned as a Professional Officer Course (POC) Cadet for the semester,

and now a Peer Mentor for University 101 as well…. In addition to getting a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and a Minor in Arabic Studies, and miraculously I still find time to workout!

A cheesing me, who is not pictured wearing a physical hat, but wears many metaphorical hats.

If anyone has questions on time management or any of the positions/organizations I’m a part of, feel free to reach out on this platform or if you see me around campus! Additionally if I specifically am not a part of a group that you want to join, there is a high chance that I know someone who is and I can put you in contact with them!

My summer classes have officially kicked off and we’re almost halfway through summer which is mind boggling to me. As my third summer participating in Project Global Officer learning Arabic I can say that I definitely prefer in-person learning as compared to online courses. Learning a new language in itself is difficult, but sitting at a computer for 8 hours a day is almost more difficult to me.

I will report back soon on how my language learning is progressing over Zoom, and more information about my current summer class schedule and how my on campus leadership positions impact my time management during the fall. Stay safe everyone!

Looking Forward to the Rest of the Summer

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Brittney

What a unique summer it has been so far here at Embry-Riddle, but as we get closer to the end of June, we are preparing for more students to come live on campus and start in-person instruction again. Some people who have been living and flying here will be leaving for the summer and others will be coming to start their summer instruction. Because of this, housing and residence life has been getting ready by reminding students about moving out and beginning to check rooms to make sure they are ready for incoming students. The school, as well as Florida, has been opening up a little more for us to engage in. The school just opened the gym, with new cleaning and distancing rules to help everyone stay safe and healthy, as well as recreational places outside are now open, like the tennis courts, volleyball courts, and tennis courts, and it surely has been nice to be able to use them again and socialize a bit more.

I am currently taking a math class online, but I am also about to begin an in-person computer programming class. I am excited as well as nervous to begin in-person classes, but the university has put so many precautions and practices into place such as continuing to social distance during class and wearing face masks that make me feel more comfortable to transition back to face-to-face classes, plus it will be a good stepping stone when everybody returns in the fall.

I am very much looking forward to having a little more interaction with new residents, as I had a few on my floor this past term. I hope everyone coming in this summer is also excited to get back to more of a normal school life, and enjoy the rest of the summer while completing milestones for their career goals, and maybe sneak away to the beach every now and then.

I’d Rather be Flying

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Eugene

After having spent about two months back home since returning due to the situation with COVID-19, my body is starting to itch to return to the skies. I never fully understood those bumper stickers and license plate borders that said “I’d rather be flying right now” even as an avid aviator. Flying may be a hobby for some and a career for others but it’s a skill that only gets more refined the more you are in the air. There is a reason for airline pilots being evaluated and trained in simulators every 6-9 months because just like riding a bicycle, your skills get rusty.

I plan on returning to campus near August when the situation with COVID-19 and civil unrest have somewhat settled down, but the country is currently going through one of her toughest times. It breaks my heart to be on the other side of the globe as I see the world suffer in so many different ways. Sometimes I wish I could take off to the skies and briefly take a break from thinking about all the issues that are on the ground.

I have about 170 flight hours since I started my flight training and a good chunk of those hours were spent in the night or by myself without an instructor on board. When you get to fly to different locations in various conditions, you start to appreciate the beauty of flying even more. I would like to share some special moments of my flying career as an appreciation post in the absence of flying.

This was my “Discovery Flight” which was my first time getting to fly in a smaller, General-Aviation aircraft like the Cessna 172 we have at Riddle. After breaking through a thick layer of morning fog and low clouds, we broke out over a coated layer of what seems like a soft, cotton candy floor. The feeling of seeing the sunrise over the cloud layer is something you can’t describe with words.

This was my long cross country flight for my commercial course. It was from Daytona Beach to Dothan, AL, Tallahassee, FL and back to Daytona. It was a whopping 6 hour round-trip in a single Cessna by myself. It was rough getting up early in the morning but once I got to the plane, my mind was as sharp as it ever could be since I was responsible for my life for the next 6 hours. It was a special experience getting to fly for so long without my instructor sitting next to me.

This was one of the bumpiest flights in my flying career. There was a low pressure system around Southern Florida and my instructor and I were trying to get to Vero Beach for our last cross country flight together. It was in no way an attempt to dangerously beat the weather and we were well clear of the actual cold front coming up. However, we often ran into huge layers of clouds and thanks to our IFR flight plan, we were able to fly through them all. There were times when the bumps were so strong it would knock the pen off my kneepad.

Instrument course is probably one of my favorite portions of flight training. You get to fly at night which means you get to enjoy beautiful sunsets like this one and enjoy the stars that will soon paint the sky above you once the sun actually sets. The air traffic becomes less congested and the controllers are more relaxed so it’s a more pleasant flying experience overall.

I have listed some special moments of my flying experience and these are unique to every pilot. The nature of our industry is always evolving and we are forced to work in environments that are constantly changing. I hope the world will soon heal from all the pain it is experiencing at the moment and that more planes and pilots can take off into the brighter future. Blue skies and tailwinds!

The Great SpaceX Launch

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Brittney

You can barely see the stream of exhaust in this photo

On Saturday, May 30th, SpaceX had made history as the first private space company to launch humans into space from the United States. It was the first time humans had been launched into space from American soil since 2011. The launch was originally scheduled for Wednesday of the same week, but it got scrubbed due to weather 20 minutes before the launch window.
I had attended the launch with a few friends and my dog at Ponce Inlet along the shore. There were tons of people lined up on the jetty waiting for this monumental moment that will let the U.S. take back their space program. Prior to this flight, NASA was paying Russia around 80 million dollars for a seat on the Soyuz to be launched to the International Space Station (ISS). A SpaceX Falcon 9 with the Dragon capsule that the astronauts use to dock with the ISS only cost about 50 million to launch.
My friends and everyone there were very excited about this moment and did not think it was going to happen because of the weather, again. But… All systems were go, and we all had our phones watching the launch live and waiting for a rocket to appear in the sky. Unfortunately, it was cloudy, and we did not get to see much more than a small stream of exhaust from the Falcon 9 through the clouds. The rocket had successfully launched, and the crew docked to the ISS 18 hours later to join the existing crew.

My dog very confused what all the noise is about

I was so glad I got to be there to witness this history, and it very much reminded me why I came to Embry-Riddle in the first place and what most of us hope to be a part of one day. I cannot wait to take part in the space industry and see what else we can achieve.

Current Events & Coping

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Merrick

Happy June everyone! Recent times have been increasingly trying given the current global and nationwide issues that are being brought to light. Progress is only achieved through change, adapting, and overcoming obstacles through education, activism, action, and solidarity. I am proud that Embry-Riddle has spoken in support of both safe health practices and in support of promoting positive change in our society. There are a lot of emotions coming to surface for many people right now, so I’m here to assure you that during times of uncertainty, change, and progress it’s so important to educate yourself on topics that impact our society, culture, government, and ways of living!

There are so many amazing resources to help with activism, education, and coping for the current situations facing our country. It’s SO important to remember you are not alone! It’s important to educate yourself and others, and stand up for your beliefs.

On top of all the stressors of everyday life, I’m taking Arabic language classes this summer with Project GO through the University of Arizona and I had my second Language Testing Institute Initial Arabic Oral Proficiency Exam yesterday – digitally, which lasted approximately 45 minutes over the phone while connected over Zoom with a testing proctor. Finding a balance between how I can help others while not neglecting the effort I’m putting in working on myself has probably been one of my biggest struggles lately.

A preferred place to clear my mind from last summer in San Diego, CA.

I am here to share with you some options I have found that are great tools to help cope during the current socio-political climate in modern day times, if you too are feeling like things are out of your control, the future is uncertain, or if you are angry, frustrated, sad, or feeling any other emotion as a response to the happenings in the world, or in your life, today.

Establish a routine. Even though there are many uncertain events occurring, it’s important to establish at least a small sense of security and routine. Even if your routine is stretching, meditating, or having a coffee when your wake up. I find when I schedule time to work out in my day I feel more accomplished, sleep better, and am overall happier despite current frustrations. Sometimes napping, reading, or eating at a certain time can be beneficial as well. Make your routine personal, and beneficial to you and your well being.
Have time to decompress, center yourself, breathe, or reflect, otherwise known as “you time” or down time. Find something you enjoy that can help you relax and clear your thought process so that your thoughts and actions can become reflections of the change, progress, or version of yourself that you wish to see and share with the world.
Reach out if you need help! There are many people who are struggling and feel like they don’t have anyone to talk to about current situations. Reach out the Counseling Center or to a trusted friend to talk it out. You are not alone and your feelings are valid.

Another preferred place to clear my mind from last summer in Tucson, AZ.

To recharge after a long day, I’ve been finding solace in working out and doing yoga over Zoom with my sister and my friends daily, in addition to getting fresh air. If I’m in the mood to laugh, I have been watching Space Force on Netflix or Ramy on Hulu. If I feel like breathing and centering myself, I’ve been taking bike rides, going for walks, surfing, watching classic Out of the Vault Disney movies on Disney Plus, and having in-depth conversations with my friends in our group chats. Our natural reactions and feelings towards current events are completely valid and we have the choice to express those thoughts and emotions in positive ways that promote change, equality, and principles we stand for and believe in either through love or through fear. I employ you to lead with your heart, choose love, and know that you are not alone, I stand with you. Will report back soon!

Back to Campus!

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Brittney

Summer at Embry-Riddle is always a little bit of a different atmosphere than normal because of the large decrease in the number of students on campus, but I have just moved back to campus and this summer is even a little more different than usual with COVID-19 this year. Social distancing is a must and campus is at a lower density than it normally is in the summer.

I have moved into New Residence Hall Phase 1, the same hall I was in my freshman year. This is exactly as I remember it with the exception that it is fairly quiet. I have moved back in as a resident advisor and have a few flight students on my floor that I am eager to meet through virtual contact as per new regulations for the school to encourage social distancing.

Even though the atmosphere is a little different than normal, it is nice to see some familiar faces such as other fellow RAs and Supervisors. As far as staying busy, I have just started my research project for the summer where I am exploring the environmental impact that the space industry has on the atmosphere. We had our orientation for the summer research program last Wednesday over zoom where we got to meet other people partaking in the research program this summer. I have begun my background research and the first steps of finding data and numbers to support my conclusions. This and RA work has been a majority of the way I spend my time and soon summer C classes will begin and fill my time a little better! I am looking forward to a calm summer of studies with sunshine at the University and maybe even making my way to the beach to catch a few waves.

My Life @ Riddle

Daytona Beach Edition