Tag Archives: Pike

March 8th

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Hello to all! Daytona is finally rid of all the bikers and I think the dust is ready to settle. This town has been a total zoo for the past week! Bike Week was more than I could have ever imagined, but it was a good time. So after all of the commotion, what comes next? Mid terms! I have been swamped in study sessions and homework problems for the last half of last week and will continue to be under the weight of tests until this Wednesday.

I recently went to Atlanta, Georgia, for a leadership conference called Pike University. This is a convention where Pi Kappa Alpha members and alumni go to learn about different types of leadership and how to recruit people for the fraternity. They also taught various things, such as how to iron a tie, manage finances, and dress properly. I found these particularly insightful because it’s not every day I get the opportunity to be taught things of that nature. I had a great time, and really learned the true meaning of servant leadership. But upon leaving Atlanta, we got caught in a snow blizzard! No joke, a cold front pushed through the southeast last weekend and snow was reported almost to the Florida-Georgia state line. Being a Florida native, I had never driven through snow before so it was an adventure in and of itself.

This past week was Greek Week, which is a campus-wide competition among the fraternities and sororities here at Riddle. Every evening has a different event: one day is tug of war, one is cardboard boat races, one is relay races, etc. We didn’t perform as well as we usually do, but it was still a good time and we still had fun. Friday night was an event called “Up ’til Dawn” which raises money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Up ’til Dawn is just that – you stay up from 7pm to 7am and raise money for charity. All of the Pikes attended and we wrote letters to people asking for donations to the hospital and earned a good amount of community service, not to mention helping out the kids at St. Jude’s.

Our pledge class of Pike competes in both basketball and softball in the Riddle intramural league, and I usually come out to all the games and play. We usually lose, but we always have a good time so it’s not a big deal. We have come a long way since we began, so progress is always rewarding.

I recently got a new job on campus as campus tour guide. I really wanted a position in the admissions department, and had been waiting for one to become available for quite some time. I received an email stating four positions had opened up in the admissions department so I went in and scheduled an interview. Apparently, fifty-three other people also had the same idea I had. So many people were competing for so few jobs! But after all was said and done, myself and another Pike received the spots, along with two others. I start this next week, so I am really looking forward to what this position will have to offer.

And guess what next week is? SPRING BREAK! Woo hoo! I am really stoked to head home for a week and see my friends and family. It’s been almost three months since I’ve seen them all. Adjusting to my high school friends being so far away has been the hardest part about college. Anyhow, next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Fort Walton Beach, Florida!

Let me know if you have any questions about Riddle or Pike, and hopefully I can see you all soon when you come for your campus tour! Hello to Andrea and Juan and thanks for all the emails! (See, when you email, you get a shout out!)

See ya,
Josh

February 8th

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Hello again to all you readers out there! Let me just start this journal by saying thank you to all of the people who have sent emails with questions, and friends and family who are always chomping at the bit, waiting for me to post another journal. Things here in Daytona have been flying, and I couldn’t be happier with this semester’s turnout so far. Classes are still going fairly well and I am beginning to feel a little more at ease with the workload and overall expectations of what’s to come. I had two tests this last week, in Calculus and Physics, which I felt thoroughly prepared for and my performance was reflected in that. I scored very well on both tests and it was very pleasing to see the work I’d put in so far pay off. It has been freezing cold all this last week, but the good news is that it is supposed to be in the seventies during this entire upcoming week. I can definitely dig that! Walking to classes in the cold, especially at eight in the morning, is a real bummer – particularly when you are late so running through it is your only option. Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to warmer weather.

As far as student activities are concerned, I just have one thing to say about last week. Rush Week was a blast! All of the events were planned and organized very well, so it was nice to just be able to attend, have a great time, and get to know all of the brothers in Pike. I was able to attend all of the rush events, which included an “Invitation Only” dinner on Friday night, which was essentially for all of the men who received a bid to join Pike. We had a blast, and I am very happy with my decision to rush Pike. Besides Rush Week, there have been quite a few things going on in Daytona. We had the Rolex 24 race last weekend, then yesterday was the Budweiser Shootout, and all this coming up week is the Daytona 500 celebration leading up to the race on Sunday. It should be a lot of fun, but it will certainly be crowded. I headed across the street to the Volusia Mall yesterday, and was informed that I was being charged forty dollars for parking. I told the woman I just simply wanted to go to the mall, and she waived the fee. That seems like the start of a crowded and overwhelming week. I’ll try to stay on campus to avoid it all.

As I said before, my classes are at their stage where tests are beginning to start flying at me from all angles. I had two tests last week, and I have three tests this week. I feel fairly confident, but it is a little much all at once. Regardless, I’ll keep you updated as to how I perform. I am also looking into doing an internship in West Palm Beach working at the ATC Tower and TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control – basically the guys who handle all the departures after takeoff and arrivals before landing) facilities. I have completed all of the paperwork and have met all of the requirements to apply for the position, but I am required to wait until the first of March to go any further. However, I am excited about the opportunity nonetheless.

I hope you all enjoyed the Super Bowl. I am a Jacksonville Jaguars fan, so I really didn’t care who won the game. The Pikes had a get-together at one of the brother’s houses, so some of my pledge-brothers and I went and hung out. It was a great time, and an excellent opportunity for me to continue to meet more of the fraternity. Anyway, that’s all for now. I have an Air Traffic Management test tomorrow at eight o’clock in the morning. What was I thinking taking a class that early? At any rate, shoot me an email if any questions arise about Riddle or college in general. You can also find me on Facebook.

See ya!