Quick Update

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Hi All,

It’s finally the week of Thanksgiving! Just 11 days or regular class remain and two days of finals. The end is near!

Thankfully, we just have a two days of classes this week which makes it a pretty easy week. Overall, classes have been keeping me pretty busy, but I have also been enjoying some down time in Daytona.

I’m looking forward to heading home Wednesday morning to spend Thanksgiving with my family as well as to see some of my friends. Plus, it will enjoy some R&R before crunch time sets in after Thanksgiving.

I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Jack

Break-ception with Astrophotography

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I think with all the breaks we’ve been having and have had so far in the month of November, we might as well just take the whole month off right? Not quite.

With the semester nearing its end, the classes, assignments, tests, and projects are certainly upping their level of difficulty. In addition to school, juggling three jobs has also been quite difficult. Time management is key and I’m still working on it. Hopefully Thanksgiving break will give me some time to catch up with all my classes since things have been getting a bit cluttered in my schedule.

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Day & Age – The Killers

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ITS SO PRETTY.

Thankfully, the breaks we’ve had so far allowed me the opportunity to travel deep into the Floridian wilderness for some stellar astrophotography! Ocala National Forest is definitely one of my new favorite places in Florida just because of how beautiful it is at night. I mean, sure you have to drive like one hour and thirty minutes out of your way to get there, but you’re greeted by breath-taking views of our vast galaxy.

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Stars and constellations make themselves known while the Milky Way comes out of hiding where you can see it with the naked-eye: I almost broke down and cried because of how beautiful it was. Because I was so far away from civilization, I had to be careful with my surroundings…which can be hard to do as you’re admiring the scenery around you.

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That’s not my truck.

I recommend traveling with a few friends, bring some snacks, and the proper photography gear if you decide on traveling to the vast expanse of Ocala National Forest. Keep checking the weather days in advance to make sure the weather will be clear and not cloudy. The first time I went, I drove so far that I somehow drove past the clear weather and found myself surrounded by fog: Not cool.

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Shutter Speed: 30 seconds, Aperture: f/2.8, ISO 2500 & Focal Length: 16mm

In the realm of photography, a camera that allows for manual control and a tripod are pretty much what you need shoot photos with. In your settings, try the following exposure settings:

  • Shutter Speed: Between 20-30 seconds.There’s a thing called the “500/600 Rule” which basically involves taking either 500 or 600 and dividing it by your focal length, which is how wide you’re currently shooting (i.e. 16mm). The resulting number is the shutter speed you need to shoot at/below to stop the stars from “moving/streaking” in your image.
  • Aperture: Try to open up your aperture to its widest setting. Most lenses can do f/3.5, while other lenses can do f/2.8. In the world of photography, 2.8 is wider than 3.5.
  • ISO: This is your sensor’s sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO, the more light it captures. Keep in mind, the higher the ISO, the more likely you are to get noise in your images. Because my 5D Mark III can handle noise fairly well, I shot at ISO 2500.

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If your photos turn out too dark, try increasing your ISO. Likewise, if your photos are too bright, consider decreasing your ISO to lower the amount of noise in your photo. Most importantly, set a 2 second delay after you press the shutter button. This will allow you to take the photo without having the camera move after you’ve touched it.

With that said, go out and have fun. That’s the most important thing!

Day Trip to Baltimore

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Hello readers!

Since we did not have school last Friday, I traveled to see my friend in Baltimore, MD. He graduated from Embry-Riddle last spring and is currently the station manager of a ground handling company at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI). I spent the afternoon touring with him.

We first started inside the airport where there is a small museum open to the public before the TSA security checkpoint. The Observation Gallery is located between Concourse B and C on the upper level. It features a small observation deck that faces a portion of the airport’s apron.

Observation Gallery (Source: Baltimore Washington International Airport)

Observation Gallery (Credits: Baltimore Washington International Airport)

After the quick museum tour, we went on to the ramp and drove around on the apron. It’s fun to be a passenger inside the airport but it’s also fun to be in the real action of the things thats are going on around an aircraft at the gate. I have always been interested at airline operations at the gate. Ever since I am young, I always sit next to the window at the gate and look outside.

There is a lot going on from the time an aircraft gets marshalled to the gate to the time it gets pushed back from the gate. Depending on the aircraft size, the ground crew only has less than an hour to deplane the passengers of the arriving flight, unload the bags, fuel and clean the aircraft, receive the inflight catering, board passengers and load the bags for the next departure.

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Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-900ER during turnaround for its evening flight back to Seattle-Tacoma. (Credits: Author)

As the Alaska aircraft was being pushed back from the gate, it was already time for me to catch my flight to go back to Daytona. I really enjoyed my experience during my short visit. I had been on the ramp previously but not as close as I did on Friday.

More Adventures
Next week, I’m off to South America with my brother for the Thanksgiving break. Stay tuned for more blogs about my next trip! You can follow me on Snapchat and Instagram @montrealspotter for live pictures.

Until next time!

Nicolas

First Class of the Semester Completed

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This Wednesday, I completed my first class of the semester. You might be thinking that this is impossible since we are only in November and the fall semester ends in mid-December. The professor let me take the final exam in advance. Just kidding!

The Business Statistics class (MATH 222) I took was an online class through Embry-Riddle’s Worldwide Campus. It was the first time I took a Mathematics online course. Even though I was pleased overall with the class, I would not recommend it to students who are studying at the Daytona Beach or Prescott campuses. The main reason is that an online Math class is quite different from the other classes students have to take.

As you know, a Math class is more about solving problems than writing essays. It happened a couple times over the semester that I did not understand how to do a problem. Professors don’t really teach you anything in online classes; you are on your own. You learn by reading the textbook and by looking at the slides. I found that my best friend during that class was the Internet. I watched videos that explained how to do certain problems. Sometimes, I thought the videos explained better than the textbook did.

Three Weeks Remaining
Only a few weeks separate today from the end of the fall semester! This also means that end of semester projects, essays and finals are arriving at the same time. I have my final analytical report due on Monday in my Tech Report class (COM 221). A presentation about this report is also required as part of the final grade. In Comparative Religions (HU 345), I have an essay due right after the Thanksgiving break. In my Supply Chain class (BA 363), I have a group project to do due on the last day of classes. Finally, I have a few tests left in some classes before the final exam.

Long Weekend
On Veterans Day (today), I am going to see my friend in Baltimore, MD. He works for a  ground handling company at the airport so I hope to learn a few things during my short visit! Before every flight I board, I try to sit by the window at the gate area to look at all the activities going around the aircraft. Today, I’ll have the chance to be walking on the airport ramp!

Until next time!

Nicolas

Editor’s note: Current residential campus students must submit appropriate paperwork before enrolling in online courses through the Worldwide Campus. Consult with the Record’s Office, your advisor or admissions counselor before deciding whether online courses are right for you. 

Early November Update

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Hello There!

It has been a busy few weeks between school, work, and traveling some. I cannot believe that it is already November, and there are just 18 days left of classes! Then, we’ll be on break after just four days of finals.

With so little time left in the semester, things are starting to pick up in my classes; there is just about one test left in each of my classes with most of them occurring before Thanksgiving Break thankfully! Since classes started a week later this Fall compared to last Fall, we have an extra week between Thanksgiving and exams which is awesome! Most of us will be able to actually slow down and enjoy the three days (plus the weekend) we have for Thanksgiving with very little homework to do! Although, it will be a busy two weeks after break.

Last weekend, I went out to Las Vegas to celebrate my birthday! It was a very fun-filled weekend!14947494_1012285355564418_4003512264289366832_n

One of the highlights of the trip was spending several hours in Salt Lake City on an extended layover; it was awesome getting to watch the flights operate that I scheduled transfer through Delta’s hub as well as fly on some of the flights I scheduled too. Also, I had the opportunity to visit with a friend who pretty much has his own Delta Museum in the basement of his house.

Now, gotta get back to the books!

Jack

The Wings Club Gala in NYC

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This September, I found out some of the most exciting news of my life, so far. At the beginning of the month, I applied for The Wings Club Scholarship through the ERAU Financial Aid office. A few days after I applied, I received an email saying I was chosen as the recipient of the scholarship. When I read the email, I was grinning from ear to ear. The Wings Club Scholarship is a $30,000 scholarship, and I could not believe that I was the one who had been chosen to receive it!

In addition to the scholarship funds, The Wings Club pays for their winners to attend the Annual Awards Gala in New York City. For those of you who may not be familiar with The Wings Club, I encourage you to check out their website to find more information about the club. It is made up of a large group of aviation executives and professionals from all over the world. When I heard that I was going to be receiving my scholarship in front of 1,200 aviation executives, I was slightly intimidated! Although I was intimidated at first, it quickly turned into excitement. After ordering my dress, booking flights, and researching the event, I could not wait to get to New York!

Luckily, the Gala fell during ERAU’s Fall Break, which allowed me to extend my stay in New York a few extra days. I was able to bring a guest with me, and we had a lot of fun exploring New York City both before and after the Gala.

The Gala was on Friday night, and was at the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in downtown Manhattan. Another student from the Prescott campus also won a scholarship, so we both attended the Gala together. Before the event, we all walked over to the hotel for a pre-Gala silent auction. Once we got to the hotel, we ended up walking into the invite-only Boeing Pre-Party. Everyone was dressed to the nines, and was having a great time. It was incredible to be in the room with the executives of Boeing, all the major airlines, leasing companies, aviation insurance companies, suppliers, and maintenance companies. Needless to say, I was in awe.

After we realized we weren’t really supposed to be at the Pre-Party, we took a look at the silent auction. While we were mingling, I had the chance to meet several ERAU Alumni, who are now major players in the aviation finance industry. I was amazed at how relatable they were, their passion for ERAU, and their success within the industry.

Eventually, we were all escorted into the main ballroom, where we took our seats. I had the pleasure of sitting with other scholarship winners during the event. CNN Aviation Correspondent, Richard Quest, was the MC for the evening. He was hilarious, and welcomed the scholarship winners up on stage early during the event. I was pretty nervous to walk on stage to receive my scholarship, but it was an incredible feeling of accomplishment once I was on stage with the award in my hand.

Lorenzo (Prescott) and I before the event

Lorenzo (Prescott) and I before the event

View of the floor from our seats

View of the floor from our seats

After the scholarships were given out, the Beach Boys surprised everyone with a half an hour concert! It was awesome. It was also cool to see a room full of aviation leaders dancing and singing to the Beach Boys. Once the excitement from the Beach Boys was over, it was time for the main event of the night. Each year The Wings Club chooses someone to receive their Distinguished Achievement Award. This year, retired Boeing President and CEO, Jim McNerney, was the recipient. I loved watching the video about McNerney, as well as hearing about all of his accomplishments. It was an honor to be in the same room with him, and shake his hand after the event was over.

David and I

David and I

Scholarship recipients on stage

Scholarship recipients on stage

Once the event officially ended, we walked around the room and talked with more ERAU Alumni. I was able to talk with several CEOs, an NTSB Board Member, Executive Chairmen, and many more. I was so inspired by their success, but also by their great knowledge of the industry. I was proud to tell them that I attend Embry-Riddle, as it is an institution that is highly regarded in the industry. After we finished mingling around the ballroom, we attended the Airbus After Party. It was fun to see people who are fierce competitors in the aviation world, all having a good time together after the event.

ERAU scholarship recipients with our checks

ERAU scholarship recipients with our checks

Lorenzo and I

Lorenzo and I

I am so grateful for the opportunity to attend the Gala, and am honored to have been chosen as The Wings Club scholarship recipient this year. I am more inspired than ever before, and am excited to enter into a career in aviation.

I encourage you to apply for scholarships through Embry-Riddle, as well as from external donors. You never know what experiences you will be able to have, and how the scholarship will impact your life!

Until next time,

Lindsey

Why Riddle is More Lit than I Thought

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I’ve been hearing about going to college my whole life – talk about freaking out my senior year in high school, everybody was freaking out. Will there be really hard classes and tons of homework? I hate trying to fit in when I don’t know anybody. I’ve been told this is what I’m supposed to do since elementary school. Really? And then, it is the end of August. I am so not ready for this.

Embry-Riddle is near my home and my dad works there. Ugggg! Guess where I am going… Everybody knows its rep as nerd school central. You know, pilots, engineers, science geeks and pocket protectors. Students all so laser-focused that they have already decided what they are doing after they graduate. Professors and Resident Assistants all uptight and straight-laced. Fun dies here, right?

Guess what? It is not like that at all! The people I have met know how to let loose and have fun. They are smart, funny, and interesting. Yes, you have to study, but it is not all cooped up in a dorm room and staring at a computer. It is way more Lit than I thought.

Orientation week eased all us nervous freshman into the process. O-Week was cool. No upperclassmen! This made the first few days of settling in, wandering around, meeting new people and finding the best places to eat much less scary. With the O-Team, everything felt like a judgment-free zone. Everybody started making friends right away.

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What a fantastic October it has been! Between my birthday, many Halloween movie marathons, Stetson’s Opera Showcase, fall break at Halloween Horror Nights, the Tri Sigma fashion show, Jessica Lynn speaking, Screamageddon, Kennedy Space Center and the biggest (and most spooktacular) party of the year! Now all that’s left is to decorate the house, carve some pumpkins and celebrate my favorite holiday!

O-Week evening events helped me meet even more people as everyone has to know each other. It started feeling like home, meeting people in your dorm–Doolittle Upper Shaft Rules!–and leaving your door open and playing music to let everyone know to come by and visit. All of a sudden, you have the chance to learn about so many different cultures and customs because everyone at Riddle is from somewhere else.

O-week was like summer camp–a familiar and fun place for any kid away from home for the first time. The week kept going–O-team meetings, pep rallies, information sessions and campus tours. At night, they had all sorts of fun stuff for us to do. We created memories with the people we had met that day. I made awesome friendships.

When O-Week is over and the upperclassmen start arriving, Embry-Riddle still worked hard to keep us entertained and occupied. The activities fair had so many different clubs and organizations. I signed up for SCUBA club, Touch N’ Go Productions, and P.R.I.D.E. Then Rush Week lets you check out Greek life. There are Thursday movie nights, intramural sports teams (I signed up for volleyball), comedy shows, pool parties, cookouts, paint rave, speakers series, and astronomy open houses. The Eagles men’s and women’s soccer and women’s volleyball teams have games at night. These are all great ways to mingle and get to know new people. Do I have to go to class?
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Speaking of… classes are so different in college, everyone is much more engaged and the professors have a passion for what they are teaching that you never see in high school. My major is communications because I’ve always loved English and Psych, but I also might major in Meteorology. Homework is a lot less stressful than I expected, though studying for tests is way more important. However, you can study with a group of friends–which is so different from high school – and keep each other focused and help with questions.

Enough of that. I’m off to the Kennedy Space Center with friends this weekend. I was at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios last week with a freshman friend I know from Portland, and nighttime on the beach with a full moon and new friends is… well, it’s all way more Lit than I thought.
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First Trip of the Semester

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Two weekends ago, I traveled to Washington D.C. and New York City with the Admissions team. We were hosting presentations for prospective students in both cities. These events are what I look forward to the most during the semester. They’re an opportunity to speak to students and families that are interested in Embry-Riddle, which is something that I love to do. The Prescott, Arizona Admissions team travels with us, as well in the spring. It’s always nice to spend time with our counterparts across the country!

Our first stop of the weekend was Washington D.C., which is probably my favorite city. I love the history, old buildings, and hustle and bustle of the city. It’s crazy to think about all the major decisions that have been made in that city. We spent our first day touring around D.C. I had never seen the Constitution, Bill of Rights, or Declaration of Independence before, so we went to see those first. I was blown away by the documents, and how much history that lies within them. Next, we walked through the National Mall to the Capitol Building. We walked around inside and saw both the House and the Senate, although they were not in session. Lastly, we went to the Air and Space Museum. Another thing that’s great about D.C. is that all the museums are free.

The United States Capitol building

The United States Capitol building

Saturday, we hosted our event for the prospective students. It was very successful, and I got to speak with a lot of students who were very excited about what ERAU had to offer. After our event, we took the train to New York. It was a gorgeous train ride up the East Coast. We finally arrived in New York around 9pm, and headed to dinner at a famous pizza place. The pizza was probably the best I’d ever had. All of us ate our own 12 inch pizza!

After dinner, we headed out to do some sight-seeing. We went to Times Square to look at all the billboards, and go into the huge H&M store. After we had shopped for a while, we headed back towards our hotel, and stopped by Rockefeller Plaza to see the ice rink. While we were watching the skaters, a magician came up behind us and started doing magic tricks. We ended up getting roped into watching him perform for half an hour. By the time he was finished, it was almost 1AM!

We woke up early the next morning to take a walk through Central Park. None of us had ever been there before, so it was a new experience for all of us. I didn’t realize just how big Central Park is. We walked for at least an hour, and only made it halfway. Our mission for the morning was to make it to this famous bakery to get “the best chocolate chip cookie in New York City”. Trust me, it was one of the best cookies I have ever eaten! Once we were finished devouring our cookies, we realized it was probably time to go to our presentation. We rushed back to get ready and get setup for the event.

The Plaza Hotel from Central Park

The Plaza Hotel from Central Park

Once again, the event went well, and we had a lot of families who came to hear all about ERAU. After the event, we grabbed a quick lunch and went out to do some more sightseeing. It would’ve been a long walk, so we decided to take the subway, which was an experience. It took us awhile to figure out which train to get on. We went to the 9/11 Memorial, which was an amazing sight. I think it is something that everyone should see at least once. Next we headed to Battery Park to watch the sunset over the Statue of Liberty. After our adventure on the subway, we were very hungry, so we went to Little Italy to grab a nice dinner. I had an amazing Gnocchi Pesto dish, that I would eat for dinner every day if I could. With that, our weekend was over.

9/11 Memorial Pool

9/11 Memorial Pool

I am so grateful that I get to travel with Admissions to these events. I enjoy speaking with students, and telling them why ERAU is such a great University. If you are a prospective student, I encourage you to come visit campus, or check out any Admissions events in your area!

Until next time,

Lindsey

Late-October Update

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Hello there!

I cannot believe that there are just five more days left in October! Plus, Thanksgiving break is less than a month away, and there is just about a month-and-a-half left of the Fall 2016 semester remains. So much still left to do and not a whole lot of time left!

I just finished my final mid-terms yesterday, and all went very well. Now, it’s time to begin focusing on some end of semester projects and studying for the remaining tests that are left before Thanksgiving.

October hasn’t felt quite right; Hurricane Matthew and no Industry/Career Expo has thrown the month off. However, the count down to the first ever Spring Industry/Career Expo on March 1st has begun, and we have been pretty busy in the Career Services Office registering employers and working on other details!

Until next time,

Jack

My Favorite Moments of October

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The month of October is almost over and we are now beginning the last phase of the fall semester. Not counting the three days off for Thanksgiving, students have about a month left of actual classes. I will conclude my last blog of the month by saying why it is one of my favorite month of the year.

Industry Career/Expo
Even though the event did not occur due to reasons we all know, it has been in the past an event with great excitement. I like to go hunt for jobs and internships. I enjoy talking with employers about what they have to offer. The career fair is now reported to the spring semester on March 1, 2017 from 09:00 to 16:00 at the ICI Center. Check the Career Services website for updates on company information sessions and the list of employers.

Fall Break
During the four days break including the weekend, I usually go back home to Canada to see my family and friends. I like to see the leaves in the trees change colors. It’s just beautiful! This is something that does not happen in Florida.

algonquin-park-autumnNHL Start of the Season (Hockey)
The 2016-17 hockey season started during the first week of the month. During fall break, I had the chance to attend the second home game of the Montreal Canadiens. We defeated the Arizona Coyotes 5-2. Last year, we did not clinched for the playoffs but hopefully this year we will go far. I look forward to this new season!

MLS Playoffs (Soccer)
The end of the month of October marks the end of the MLS regular season, which means that the playoffs start! My team (Montreal Impact) finished 5th place of the Eastern Conference during the 2016 season. They are playing a knockout round against D.C. United tomorrow (10/27). Hockey has always been the most popular sport in Montreal, but  soccer is catching up slowly beating football.

Until next time!

Nicolas