A Broken Foot, but not a Broken Spirit

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Chloe

How breaking my foot affected the course of my Fall 2023 semester. If you’re not super interested in the backstory, go ahead and skip to the first picture set in this post!

One fateful night during the Fall 2023 semester, also known as Wednesday, September 27, I was playing in an intramural volleyball game with my sorority, Sigma Kappa. We were doing pretty okay, and definitely had a chance to win the game. So, naturally, I put my all into the game. And broke my foot doing it.

I have loved playing intramural sports and I actually played lacrosse for about 6 years prior to attending Embry-Riddle, and never broke a single bone in my body, until this relatively low-stakes volleyball game. (We weren’t playing for a championship ring, really just for fun)

Like I said, I played lacrosse, not volleyball. So I was really just trying to get the ball over the net. About halfway through our first game, I jumped up to hit the ball back over the net (which I did successfully, and we got the point) and upon landing back on the ground, I felt my left foot do something weird and immediately start to hurt.

I didn’t want to delay the game, so I got up off the ground as quickly as I possibly could, and have been told I did it so quickly that most of the people there didn’t even know I got hurt. I made my way to the sidelines of the court, where a couple of my sorority sisters were there to check on me. I received a bag of ice and someone asked if I wanted medical attention, to which I responded; ‘No, I’ll be fine,’ genuinely believing that the pain would go away by the morning and I would be fine.

I stayed for the remainder of the game, which we unfortunately lost, and I went to get up from my seat and go out to my car in the ICI parking lot and drive back to Residence Hall 2 (RH2). Upon attempting to get up, I realized that I could hardly put any weight on my left foot, which was a problem. One of my sorority sisters went to get my car and drive it closer to the entrance of the ICI center, while a few members of the opposing team, who were also my friends and brothers of the Delta Chi fraternity, acted somewhat as ‘human crutches’ and helped me out and to my car.

One of my sorority sisters drove me back to my dorm in RH2 and parked my car for me. That night, I got into bed with my foot elevated and some ice on it, took some pain reliever, and somehow fell asleep, with the hope my foot would be alright in the morning.

Surprise! My foot was not alright in the morning. I woke up around 8:30 am and intended to get ready for my 9:45 class, in which I had an exam, but found I could barely walk. I called the campus’ Health and Wellness Center, who advised me to call Campus Safety to pick me up and drive me over to the center so they could take a look at my foot. I called Campus Safety, and only waited about 10 minutes for them to arrive, and they were incredibly helpful in making sure I got to the Wellness Center safely. Once there, the lovely nurse told me that I needed to get an X-ray and referred me to a local orthopedic clinic. The center provided me with crutches and I once again called Campus Safety to drive me to my car so I could go to the clinic. (It was my left foot that was broken, and all I needed was my right foot to drive, so no worries there.)

I sent an email to my professor explaining the situation, in hopes I would still be able to take that exam I mentioned. (I did, again no worries there.) After my X-rays, I was told I did in fact break my foot, and I should expect to be on crutches for about 3-4 weeks. Here’s where I guess I figured it was time to continue on with life as normal.

Me, in bed, the night I broke my foot, making friendship bracelets! (I know, it’s blurry, but I didn’t have many photos from this night.)

I truly appreciated the support when the injury occurred, and I included all of this context because every time I was asked how I broke my foot, this is just about everything I ended up responding with. (People love details, I guess)

The Fun Part: Life on Crutches!

No one told me how physically exhausting it would be to go through daily life on crutches. The first day was actually the easiest, I think. I wasn’t quite tired of the crutches, and was really just trying to ignore the pain in my foot. I answered a lot of questions and told the story of how it happened many, many times.

The biggest thing I noticed was how much I had to ask for help, which is something I’m not at all used to, and that’s where being on crutches began to take a mental toll. Many times, I found it incredibly frustrating to have to wait to ask someone to carry my lunch for me or to open a door for me, or I just had to figure out how to do it myself.

Usually, one of my friends would be around to help me get lunch, and that was no big deal. But sometimes, there was no one around, so unfortunately, I thought my solution was to just forget about it and try to get food another time. This is not the best way to go about my situation, and I have learned that now.

In regards to opening doors, many of the buildings I entered had a button I could press that would automatically open the door for me. However, when going to individual classes or even to the bathroom in some buildings, I struggled to open doors. Usually, when going to class, there was another person arriving around the same time, and would hold the door for me. Bathrooms, however, I found often had very heavy doors that were difficult to open, and was somewhat frustrating. It made me stop and think how accessible our campus really is.

All of these little frustrations really took a toll on my mental health. Having to rely on Campus Safety to get me across campus, or on friends to get my lunch, or on random classmates to hold the door open for me are things I never thought I would have to do, and I felt so incredibly helpless. Additionally, I am a very social person, but there were many things I couldn’t go do with my friends because I was on crutches. I fell into a lonely couple of weeks where I really didn’t feel like I had anyone to rely on. But, as soon as I realized what was making me upset (not being able to hang out with friends and do ‘fun’ stuff) I took some time to think about what I could do.

I could still go to my sorority’s chapter meetings, and even put on a little heel on my good foot when I had to dress up for chapter, hoping to gain a sense of normalcy. I found that I could still go to mass on campus, which helped to ease some of my mental troubles. I was able to go to the movie theater a couple of times, and even participate in my sorority’s philanthropy event.

Yes, it was hard to find the energy to do these things sometimes, but I realized that I was surrounded by people who wanted me to be there and wanted me to want to be there. Although being on crutches meant I couldn’t go bouldering in the fitness center, play volleyball with sisters, or play tug of war at my sorority’s Camp Sigma Kappa, I was still able to have plenty of fun being around the people I love.

Went to see The Eras Tour Movie with my friend Steph, on crutches!

Many of my professors were very understanding when I needed some extra time on assignments, because I was so physically and mentally exhausted while being on crutches. My bosses in Housing and Residence Life (p.s. I am still an RA, if you forgot) were helpful when I needed anything, as well as my coworkers, who often helped me get lunch or take out my trash, or even do my laundry.

Being on crutches taught me that it’s okay to ask for help, and that many people are usually willing to help! I also taught myself to discover things I could do on my own that still made me happy, even when I couldn’t run and jump and dance around my room.

There’s so much more that I could say in regards to breaking my foot, but perhaps that will be in a second story. For now though, I’m thankful to be off my crutches and out of my boot, while still taking it easy and allowing my foot to heal. Life isn’t quite back to normal yet, but I know that it will be soon, and I’ll be sure to update more as life goes on. With finals quickly approaching, my main focus is finishing the end of the semester strong, although much of it was quite the struggle.

I have truly appreciated everyone’s support while I was dealing with my injury, and appreciate the support I am still receiving from my family, my friends, my peers, and my professors.

Thanks for reading,

Chloe

Pie a Theta Phi and the Lucy Launch

Posted on October 19, 2021 by Carly

Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Carly on the ground with homework.

So, the back half of last week was eventful for me! On Thursday, Theta Phi Alpha had a “Pie a Theta Phi” event. We had shaving cream pies, and people could donate money to pie sisters in the face. Participation to be pied was completely voluntary, and to be honest, I didn’t expect to do it. One of my friends ended up coming by and asking if I was one of the people who could be pied. Not thinking anything of it, I told him that if he doubled the donation, then he could pie me in the face.

So, he doubled his donation.

It was quite the experience. Thankfully, he was nice and it didn’t end up too messy. The friend then offered to let me pie him back for $10, which I immediately took the opportunity to. It just so happens that he’s a new member in ERAU’S FIJI chapter (FIJI is the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity). His fraternity brothers then decided to donate to pie him in the face, which was entertaining for all parties involved.

And for two people who didn’t expect to get pied in the face, I think I ended up having the least messy experience. Thankfully the sisters of Theta Phi had come prepared, and they had plenty of towels and water for us to clean off with.

Friday was pretty normal, except for the fact that I tried to go to bed super early. NASA was launching their Lucy mission and targeting a 5:34 AM launch. I’d already decided that I wanted to go see it, and thankfully, one of my other friends had a car with seats available. So, a few of us piled into his car around 4 AM and made the drive down to Titusville.

One of my favorite things about Embry-Riddle is the number of students that love watching rocket launches. For every rocket launch that I’ve wanted to go to, I’ve been able to find a ride. And even for launches that aren’t on the East Coast, I’ve been able to join a small group. (For example, the Firefly Alpha launch- mentioned in a previous post.)

The Lucy launch went off right at 5:34 AM. It was kind of chilly outside, so I was glad I was in pants and a hoodie. (There was also an abundance of mosquitoes at our watch site, and thankfully, I only got one mosquito bite.) We watched the launch curve slightly to the left and fade into the sky as we listened to the soft rocket rumble. And once it had disappeared, we packed back up and went back to Embry-Riddle.

We ended up getting back around 7 AM, and I was dropped off at my dorm. I ended up sleeping until 12 PM and got on with the weekend homework haul. It’s great living on the Space Coast, though. I’m studying aerospace engineering, and every rocket launch is a reminder of what I’ll be doing for a career one day. One day, I’ll be able to say that I helped put something in space.

So, with that, I’ll see you in the next post… and hopefully at Riddle! (And maybe in the industry?)

Clubs, Greek Life & More!

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Emily

I couldn’t get a lot of pictures the past few weeks due to classes. I’ve been wracking my brain to think of something to write about for this entry, and was almost ready to throw in the towel, but I had sudden inspiration to talk about clubs and extracurricular activities and how fun and important they can be.

Since I started at Embry-Riddle, I have been told that joining clubs and being involved is key to college life. Many professors, and even former Embry-Riddle students themselves, say that being involved can help with job interviews internships by providing leadership experience and other skills. The faculty in my major, Communication, hosted an event where Riddle graduates came to speak with us. All of them told us about how most of their internships helped lead to a job, or that landed their job because of extra-curricular activities that they participated in during college. One of them said that their interview consisted of just talking about what she did in her engineering club and another about her study abroad trip. It all goes to show that the grades and your GPA will only take you half way when it comes to the real world. Employers seem to be looking for active well-rounded people for the most part.

Embry-Riddle has a vast number of extracurricular opportunities, from cooking, to creative writing, music, engineering, all the way to clubs about cultures. Even if you somehow can’t find an interest, you can create your own club with enough people and support from the school. Also, Riddle has a ton of different sororities and fraternities. Embry-Riddle’s Greek Life isn’t like other schools where it’s bikini car washes and frat parties all night long. Here, most don’t have “houses” but live in the dorms and function more like what seems a club, and they’re a lot more professional.

So many clubs! Cars, airplanes, academics, culture, skydiving, sailing – the list goes on and on!

I’ve been searching for something I truly like. I’ve gone to the school newspaper meeting, the aviation photography club meetings and they just didn’t click well for me. Recently I met someone in the same major as me (which is rare for a communications major), and she invited me to an event to meet a sorority. At first, I was reluctant because I’m socially awkward and was nervous. But I went to give it a try, and because I was looking to get involved and push myself anyway. I was absolutely delighted and mesmerized these fantastic women. Each one had their own special role and their own beautiful personality. They supported and loved one another like family and made me feel like family as well. Being a woman at Embry-Riddle can be overwhelming. I’ve had many classes where I was the only girl and I’m only in my second semester, so seeing all these empowering, friendly, and sweet girls was amazing! I’m sure from what I heard that joining a fraternity is a similar experience.

There’s something out there for everyone and I truly with all my heart encourage you to join a club, study abroad, or check out Greek life. Not only will you have a great time, make friends, and create memories, but you’re also setting yourself up for success when you try it out. I hope this small entry will inspire some to get involved and see how it can help you on your path of awesomeness.

Welcome to the Club(s)

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Emmy

Hello, readers!

I know that when you’re looking at colleges, you’re not just looking at your degree program, you’re also looking at the things you can do there. Some people even pick their school based upon what they can do, not necessarily what they’ll study. Hopefully you’re looking at Riddle because you’re excited to study one of our degree programs offered in Daytona, but also because of the endless opportunities the university has to participate in something bigger than yourself.

Of course, we have a great athletic department, which is greatly increasing in size as we transition to NCAA. We have fantastic teams that compete very well! I have many friends on Track and Field, Tennis, Volleyball, and Basketball. It’s a great place to embrace your sport either from high school or from just pure interest, and be able to explore the collegiate opportunities there.

We have a few sororities and fraternities on campus as well; I’m not as familiar with Greek life, but I know plenty of people who are involved and absolutely love their Greek family that they’re a part of!

In terms of the clubs we have at Riddle, if you can think of an idea for a club, we probably have it. SCUBA diving, skydiving, sport aviation, rowing, motorcycle enthusiasts, archery, gaming – whatever it is that you enjoy, we probably have it. And if we don’t, its SO easy to create your own club. If you and a few friends want to have a movie critique club and can find a faculty member to sponsor it – go for it. (We might even have a club that does that, but I’m not sure – don’t quote me on that!). Flight Team, for example, is a club that isn’t designated as an AS (Aeronautical Science) only team/club. We have HF (me!), engineers, and mechanics alike. Go out there and see what’s there and have fun. The most important thing is to find something that you love and have some fun!!

As I’ve said in a previous post, I think it’s so important to be involved in some club or team that isn’t associated directly with your degree program. You get to meet people from other degrees and other countries and nationalities that you might have had the opportunity to otherwise. You might meet the people that’ll be your friends for life. It’s also a great place to network – meeting professors and other faculty members may become your mentors, your go-to people with personal and professional aspirations. They might also give you opportunities that you wouldn’t normally have – for example, I am serving as the Region IX SAFECON President for our Regional competition this fall for Flight Team. I wouldn’t have had such the honor if I hadn’t stuck my neck out and joined the team.

Above is an image of me flying N53ER, the Flight Team’s old precision landings aircraft, the Maule MXT-7-180 Comet. Photo taken by Zack Wilkinson, Summer 2014. Another advantage of doing something outside of your major might include flying airplanes you wouldn’t normally fly!

Above is an image of Ernie flying with me up to Virginia for the 2015 Women’s Air Race Classic. You never know where your team might take you! Mine teams have taken me across the country and back, literally.

There’s a lot to be said for research though – make sure you’re participating in at least one research project while you’re in school. It definitely doesn’t have to be for all 4 years, it can be for a semester or even a summer. The knowledge you can gain simply by participating or assisting in research can have end results that you might not even a imagine (a job offer maybe?!).

It’s intimidating trying to fit into a club or group with people you don’t know – I completely understand. But my best advice is to do something out of your comfort zone and have fun! Meet new people, do things you wouldn’t normally do (like skydiving!), and enjoy your time outside of class and study time. That’s what college is all about!

Every semester, the school hosts an Activities Fair, which is an opportunity for students to see all of the clubs and teams and Greek life you can be a part of! It’s a lot of fun (you never know what cool free stuff you can find….) so I encourage all of you to check it out if you’re on campus!

Enjoy the rest of your week – back to work for me!

Blue skies,

Emmy

Giving Up Our Letters to Help You Find Yours

Posted on October 12, 2015 by Rachel

The most stressful and exciting week in a sorority girl’s semester has finally come to a close! A couple of weeks ago, many young women from Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus found out which sorority they were meant to be in and ran home! For anyone who doesn’t know anything about Greek Life, I’ll give you a little overview…

Every semester, the Panhellenic sororities on campus hold recruitment for potential new members! “Which sororities are on the Daytona Beach campus?” you may be asking. Our location has three sororities to choose from: Alpha Xi Delta, Theta Phi Alpha, and Sigma Sigma Sigma. Although all three are very different, they are all great because of their values and philanthropies. The process is simple, the potential new members (or PNMs as we like to call them), go to the events that are held by each sorority, and eventually go through a mutual selection process to find out which one is their home!

Now since I am a sophomore who is already in a sorority, some might be wondering how all of this involves me. I was one of the fifteen young ladies on campus that was given the important job of being a Recruitment Guide, also known as a Rho Gamma. As a Rho Gamma, it is our job to help our PNMs with anything they need during recruitment. This ranges from supporting them when they decide which sorority they want to be in, helping them choose what they want to wear for each event, or even giving them a mint if they think their breath is smelling bad!

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My Recruitment Group!

Being a Rho Gamma was great, but there was one catch to the position. In order for us to support our PNMs without being biased toward our own sorority, we had to disaffiliate weeks before school began. This disaffiliation included never wearing letters in public, taking down all of our pictures
that showed which sorority we belonged to, and never talking to our sisters! For me, this was the hardest thing imaginable, because I currently live with several sisters in our sorority house and it was difficult not being able to talk to the people who you are the closest to.

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All the Rho Gammas running home after the Rho Gamma Reveal!

As I look back on my weeks as a Rho Gamma, I can truly say it was one of the most special things I have ever experienced. I was able to see the other side of recruitment, something I went through when I joined my sorority last spring. I bonded with Panhellenic women from other organizations on campus and learned more about their sororities. And the most special thing of all, I helped new members find their home, the organization that will help them grow into the women they are meant to be. Deciding to give up my letters to help them find theirs was probably the best decision I have ever made.

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Finally back with my sorority!

Go Greek!

My Life @ Riddle

Daytona Beach Edition

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