What are the “Hippity Haps” for this week?

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Billy

Hello, hello! Back at it again with the biweekly updates. With another two weeks under my belt, I cut right to the chase.

You can catch me on the air with my good friends Lonnie and Ella Wednesday mornings on WIKD!

As usual, classes are starting to get more and more challenging as the semester progresses. And with my time management getting slightly better, I am definitely looking forward to using Spring Break as a period of time to catch up.

Yeah so you can actually see a rocket launch from campus which is legit.

Speaking of Spring Break, I was selected to represent The Avion Newspaper at this years CMA conference in New York City. The College Media Association (CMA) is an organization that offers resources for news organizations on college campus nationally, and every year, they host a media conference where students from different colleges can meet and get feedback on their material.

Even though I’ve been to New York City many times, I am still excited for the trip. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a vacation and I’m looking forward to meeting people across the nation to gain insight and knowledge that would help benefit the newspaper.

Cue the CSI Miami music.

It snowed in Daytona Beach.

In other news, Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB) recently held their tri-annual safety drill. The drill, which involved the FAA, FBI, DHS, and the Red Cross, simulated an aircraft that over-ran the runway. It was nice that DAB had a reserved section for Riddle students to view the training exercise.

Ah, the new residence hall.

That’s pretty much it for now so I’ll see you all in another two weeks!

Monday’s Update

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Skye

Hello everyone! I hope your week is going good so far! It’s a crazy week coming up since spring break is right around the corner. Just an update from my side, things have been going really well. Except for the fact that I am extremely tired, I am happy with where I am at.

I recently received an email from NASA regarding the Solar System Ambassador position, the teleconferences are really picking up and I have opportunities to work with STEM education as well so today I resigned as my position as President of Society 4 S.P.A.C.E. My Vice President, Neysha, is taking my place until an official election takes place. I am happy with the half-term I served and I am hopeful for where the club is headed in the future. However, this NASA position is something I cannot turn down. I am really excited to move forward working as an SSA and possible STEM educator.

On other hands, my MOOC for Human Factors in Aviation starts up at the end of the month on March 21, 2016. I am really excited because it is my first MOOC class of the year. I plan to sign up for all of them that are happening this year. MOOC classes are Massive Online Open Classes that are run through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide. They range in topics but it only requires 2-3 hours of work during the week and although they are not for college credit, you receive a certificate. It is good to expand your knowledge and put it on your resume. I am super excited for the opportunity.

In the world of “Astro Skye,” I am just about at 5,000 followers on Instagram. I am really excited because I am going to start a giveaway/sweepstakes where a person can win a space care package with some goodies! Some include a photo signed by astronauts, space items, and a couple signed items from me. Astro Skye has really taken off and I can only thank ERAU for educating me on topics that I can include in my other life. I almost feel like Hannah Montana here!

Other than that it is just academics and space. No better combination! I hope you all have a great week and keep chugging along! Spring break is almost here!

Have a great night!

End of Class, Research Paper, Interviews, Exams

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Nicolas

Next Sunday, during Spring Break, I will finish my first class of the spring semester. I am taking Organizational Behavior (MGMT 317) online. I have a lot of work to do before I can finally rest for a week.

First, for my online class, I have to write a final report of 15 pages on an aviation company and discuss the topics in the modules we saw over the nine-week course. I also have to complete a weekly discussion with my classmates. Finally, there is an open book final exam consisting of multiple choice, true or false, short answer, and essay questions. This is all due on Sunday at 11:59PM, yay!

I also have two interviews this week for internship positions for the summer. I hope to get answers back quickly so I can plan my summer accordingly. One of the companies that I applied to is based in Montreal, so I won’t need to find a place to live since I will live with my family at home. The other organization I am interviewing with is not located close to home so I will have to temporary housing for three months. Most of the companies proceed like this. They will help you to find housing close to the headquarters, but you are on your own to pay your living expenses.

Finally, I have to prepare for tests if I do not want to study a lot over the break. I have a Managerial Accounting and a Corporate Finance midterm on the week right after vacation.

A few weeks ago, my professor in my Airport Management class told us that we would not have an in class final exam. He does things differently then my other professors. We do take home assignments throughout the semester and will have a large final group project that will account for most of our grade. We will also have a take home final exam. I like to explore different ways to learn. In this class, we don’t have to memorize material to do well on the exams since there are none. Our assignments work with real life aviation examples. For the final project, we will play the role of the manager of San Diego International Airport (SAN). We will have to prepare a SWOT analysis to determine if we can keep the airport in its current location or take action to develop a brand new airport. I didn’t know that the airport operates with a single runway and welcomes more than 20 million passengers every year.

Well, I have to go back to work on my final report!

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

The Daytona 500 Weekend

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Nicolas

Two weekends ago was the race weekend! Even though it is my second year living in Daytona Beach, I had never been to a race at the Daytona International Speedway. I had the opportunity to attend both races, the Xfinity Series Race, and the famous Daytona 500 race. My Dad and one of my uncle flew down to the Sunshine State for the event.

Daytona 500

On Saturday morning, I toured the Sprint Cup Garage and Pit Road. It was my second time touring the garage and pit. The last time I went to a race was in 2011 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas for the Formula 1 race. It is interesting because you can see everyone who is involved to make a race happen.It is not only the driver of the car that does all the job. Every member of the team has a different task to perform to ensure the team’s success in a race.

Joey Logano’s Ford Fusion in the garage

In the afternoon was the Xfinity Series Race. It consists of 120 laps and 300 miles. I just had the chance to see the first 30 laps has we had to go back to the hotel for dinner. At that time, I was already excited for the Daytona 500 the next morning. We ate dinner in the same room that Joey Logano of Team Penske did. I was not expecting that! Joey delivered a short speech and talked about some of the aspects of the race. For example, you don’t want to be to close to the car in front of you because it could give them a push forward.

Sunday was the big day. Before the race, we went down on the asphalt on the actual race track. It was impressive to see how inclined the road was at some places. We were even allowed to write on the yellow painted lines on the side of the track. There was a concert on the track before the start of the race. After the pre-race festivities, the National Anthem began and ended with the USAF Thunderbirds.

The Thunderbirds!

I thought overall that the race was long. It is 200 laps over a distance of 500 miles. I enjoyed the beginning of the race because I did not know to expect. However, I got bored in the middle of the race because nothing was happening, cars weren’t passing each other and there was not much action happening. I would say the last 20 laps were the most exciting, and they are the ones that I payed most attention to. The last lap was spectacular as nobody expected that Denny Hamlin would win. I enjoyed my first race weekend and hope to attend more those races in the future.

Until next time!

Nicolas

Contact the author at berniern@my.erau.edu

Countdown to Spring Break

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Skye

Happy Saturday everyone! It has been a crazy few weeks on my side so I do apologize for not writing a blog in a bit. However, I am back…and so are the bikes! The 75^th Bike Week is here. Starting yesterday, bikes from all around the country have come down to Daytona Beach for Bike Week 2016. Fun for them, but the traffic is a little bit of a bother.

On the Space side of things, SpaceX finally launched their Falcon 9 with SES-9 yesterday at 18:35:00 on the dot! The original days of launch, last Wednesday and Thursday, I was actually at Kennedy Space Center on restricted ground about 2.8-3.0 miles away from the launch pad. She was sure a beauty! It was really cold there. Even though the rocket never lit, it was still a nice experience seeing a rocket up close. SpaceX then rescheduled for this past Sunday but at less than T-5 seconds and counting, the engines ignited but did not have enough trust to the launch was aborted. After all that mumbo jumbo, she finally launched last night and it was beautiful. I was in Port Orange at that time but seeing the light in the sky fade into a nice parabola into a geotransfer orbit was the best part of my day. I did find out that the satellite deployed nominally. Congratulations for another successful launch and deployment SpaceX!

Keeping on the subject of Space, I am really starting to get involved as a NASA Solar System Ambassador! I have been getting updated on teleconferences up the wazoo, as well as, starting to plan my events for SSA. It is going really well. I will soon have a lot more time on my hands, another story for another time, so I can focus more on SSA. I am excited for the future!

I also registered for Fall classes on Friday. I am super excited to be taking

Physics II for Engineers
Statics
Business Statistics
Technical Report Writing
Spacecraft Payloads
Human Factors in Space

Yep, that is 18 credits but I am up for the challenge!

This semester is certainly going by fast! I have a calculus test on Tuesday so I have been studying all day for that one. I will be taking a break later tonight for Dinner and a Tribute to Bon Jovi concert for the Family Fun Days in Port Orange. Other than that I have a paper due next week but nothing super heavy. I am really excited for Spring Break! On Friday, Josh (boyfriend) and I are leaving for Chicago. We are staying there until the following Tuesday. On that same week, we are going on a cruise Thursday-Sunday for my parent’s 20^th wedding anniversary. Super excited for that! I am going to try and not gain 200 pounds from the all you can eat buffet! I will be sure to get my workout on!

That is what has been happening and what is about to happen in the life of Skye right now! The Countdown to Spring Break is definitely on!

Have a great one!

Quick Update

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Jack

It’s been a busy few weeks at Embry-Riddle. For President’s Day/Valentine’s Day

A large heart made out of rose pedals at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

weekend, I went back home to Houston, Texas, and it was nice to spend the weekend with my family and local friends. Plus, I did receive some exciting news while en-route home for the weekend, but more will come later.

After I got back, I have been quite busy between work and school. This semester feels a bit different since I am taking a lot of my upper-level classes. This is the time where the rubber meets the road as in I am beginning to see how a lot of my classes connect; this helps keep my attention and engaged as many new connections are made.

Meanwhile, there are lots of big projects coming up. For example in my Airline-Airport Operations class, we are in small groups and will write a paper and give a presentation investigating something airline and airport related, and in my Business Information Systems class, we are writing about the “back end” of a business (which includes privacy policies, social media policies, software, and many other parts). Plus, we have started on our big Tech Report Research Paper.

The count down until Spring Break is on! Just one week to go.

Two Week Recap

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Lindsey

These past two weeks have been full of excitement and memories! As I mentioned before, the Daytona 500 was two weekends ago. Luckily, the weather cooperated, and it was a beautiful day for some racing!

We woke up early on Sunday morning to walk over to the track. There were people and cars everywhere! The roads were all at a stand still. Thankfully, Embry-Riddle is close enough to the Speedway, so it wasn’t a bad walk at all. Once we got to the Speedway, we walked around and looked at all of the vendors. There were tons of merchandise tents, as well as a lot of food options. After a few hours of walking around, we went up to our seats and took in the sunshine and wonderful views.

Standing outside the Daytona International Speedway

After the Florida Georgia Line concert, and the driver introductions, it was time for the Thunderbirds to do a fly over! As always, it’s one of the coolest moments of the race. Sadly, my hometown driver, Kasey Kahne, didn’t win the 500, but it was still a fun experience! The last lap of the race was the most exciting part. I am already looking forward to the next Daytona 500!

The view of Turn 1 from our seats

Last weekend, the sorority which I am a member of, Sigma Sigma Sigma, had our formal. Normally formal is held at a hotel or resort, where you have a nice dinner and spend time with friends. This year, our sorority decided to do something different…

We went to the Crayola Experience in Orlando. It is a huge building that is all about Crayola Crayons. It was fun to do something out of the ordinary! We got to make and name our own crayons, see how crayons are made, and even take a picture that was turned into a coloring page!

It has been a great two weeks. Now it’s one more week until Spring Break! I can’t wait to head off to Nashville, South Florida, New York City, and Washington D.C. over break! I will let you know all about it!

Until next time,

Lindsey

Spotlight: Women’s Ambassador Program

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Lindsey

As some of you may know from my previous blog posts, I am a member of the Women’s Ambassador Program at the Daytona Beach campus. The Women’s Ambassador Program is a program which is underneath the Admissions Office. Our mission is to encourage young girls to become interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), as well as support women who are planning on attending, and already attend ERAU. We accomplish this mission through several different activities.

One of our passions is to help younger girls to become interested in aviation, science, and engineering. We realize that those fields are male-dominated, and want to encourage girls to strive for their dreams, even if they think that they are “boy jobs”. Throughout the year, we go to local schools to host events for the students. At these events we have the kids participate in activities that utilize science. Last year, we had them make catapults, and then had a competition for whose catapult could get the marshmallow the furthest. The kids really enjoyed the friendly competition, as well as getting to create their own mechanism. Earlier this year we went to a Girl Scouts event in Boston, where we made Goo for the girls to play with. They were all very interested in how it was made, and how they could create their own at home. It’s events like these, where we get to interact with children, that really motivate me to continue to be a Women’s Ambassador. I love to see young girls get excited about STEM fields.

In order to encourage women to attend ERAU, we reach out to accepted high school seniors. We do this by calling them once a week, as well as emailing them in the spring. During the months that we get to communicate with the girls, we learn a lot about them. Our job is to be a mentor or a big sister for each girl, so that they feel comfortable coming to ERAU. We want everyone to feel welcome, so we create friendships with the women, and meet them when they get to campus in the fall. This is one of the most rewarding parts of the role, since you feel a sense of pride when a girl you talked to makes the decision to attend Riddle. It is an even better feeling when you get to see them everyday on campus once they start classes. I see a few of my students from last year around campus, and it makes me happy to know that they are doing well, and enjoying ERAU.

Another way we are able to encourage women to attend ERAU is through Admissions events. We travel with the Admissions team to different ERAU receptions around the country, talking to the prospective students. I love that I am able to interact with students and their parents on a face-to-face level. The passion for the industry, that the prospective students have, blows me away. It is a rewarding feeling when a student I met at the reception ends up attending Embry-Riddle. Just the feeling that I was able to help them through part of the process is what makes being a Women’s Ambassador such a great position.

As the Spring semester is reaching its peak, I am excited to get in contact with more prospective students, both over the phone and in person at receptions. The Women’s Ambassador Program will continue to work hard to help new students find their new home at Embry-Riddle.

Until next time,

Lindsey

Thunderbirds Are Go!

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Billy

Hello, hello! I hope everyone is doing ok. I’ve been severely busy so this whole “4 jobs plus school” thing is really starting to take its toll on me. If anyone has good time-management tips, please send them my way.

Some pretty cool stuff has happened in the past few days since my last update. Most notably the Thunderbirds came to campus a few days ago. They have been here since last Sunday, and it was no secret that they were in the area. The sound of an F-16 taking off is something that you do not forget, and if you somehow did not hear them, then the 3.5 magnitude earthquake that followed would definitely get your attention. I was sitting in physics the other day and the class stopped one we heard the engines spooled up: it’s intense.

Watching all eight of them landing is also a sight to see. Because the Daytona International Speedway had recent exterior modifications, the Thunderbirds did a few flyovers with smoke for promotional photos. Also, watching he C-17 land, taxi to the left, and back up was also a sight to see.

Recently, Touch-N-Go had their Casino Night where attendees were given $5,000 worth of casino chips to play for prizes. The prizes ranged from TVs and copies of Battlefront to a Frozen snow-cone maker and a popcorn maker. That was the first time I have ever “gambled,” and while I lost quite a bit of money, I would definitely do it again. Plus TNG had free pizza and drinks.

Aside from that, there isn’t anything else to report. I’ll see you all in another two weeks!

The Happiest Place on Earth

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Rachel

As an Orientation Ambassador and a Women’s Ambassador, incoming students always ask me the same question: What do you do for fun in Daytona Beach? During my freshman year here at Embry-Riddle, a lot of my weekend time was dedicated to doing homework or just lounging around campus. This year I have made a huge 180!

One day, my big (sorority) sister, Melani, and I were working in First Year Programs and discussing how much we missed going to Disney World and why we weren’t taking advantage of how close it was. Naturally, all this talk got us so excited that we spontaneously bought annual passes.

Luckily, our past two weekends haven’t been as busy as usual, so Melani and I were able to visit Epcot and Hollywood Studios, both of which made us feel like we were ten year olds again!

Melani and I wearing our Minnie Ears!

We visited Epcot with our friends Conor and Zach and it was the best day I’ve had in a long time. The four of us got to go on Mission: Space, Epcot’s famous ride that actually makes you feel like you’re making a mission to Mars. The rest of the day we walked around and admired each country we came across. The best part was going to Japan and eating the best sushi!

Melani, Conor, Zach, and I at Epcot!

It was Melani’s first time visiting Hollywood Studios, so she thoroughly enjoyed every ride and show that we went on. We screamed on the Tower of Terror, sang till our throats were sore at the Frozen Sing-A-Long, and even got to meet different Disney characters! The highlight of my day was meeting Kylo Ren, the villain from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Dream come true!

So when incoming students ask me what a Riddle kid does for fun, I am not going to hesitate suggesting going to one of the theme parks in Orlando, especially Disney World! These past two weekends have served as a great break from the engineering world and I can’t wait to spend more time at the “Happiest Place on Earth”!

My Life @ Riddle

Daytona Beach Edition