Tag Archives: SGA

Reflecting on 3 and a half years.

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There are no pictures that can perfectly encapsulate these last 3 ½ years, so this is all text, I apologize. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the read, and maybe find some inspiration from it.

12 class days. 28 total days. I will graduate with my bachelor’s degree on December 12, 2024. And I am terrified. Excited, of course, but terrified. But I want to use this post as a reflection on the past 3 ½ years at Embry-Riddle. 

When I first started at ERAU in the fall of 2021, I had the same feeling as I do now. Terrified. Excited, of course, but terrified. I had no idea what the future had in store for me as a bright-eyed, happy-go-lucky freshman. I remember my first year in the dorms fondly; Hanging out with people I just met as though I’ve known them for years characterized most of that time. I remember playing mini golf in the quad outside of the student union at 10pm, and being fascinated by the Starship robots that roam the campus. I learned to ride a skateboard, although I did fall and skin my knee a few too many times (I still have the scars). I joined a sorority, and I got my first campus job. I had the privilege of photographing my brother’s engagement, an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world. In my first semester, I achieved a 4.0 GPA, a goal I’m looking to reach once again in my last semester (kind of a full-circle moment idea). I was elected into a chair position for my sorority, and I helped plan our continued involvement in Intramural sports, specifically volleyball, something the chapter is still participating in now. I went to my first career fair, and oh, how I’ve grown since then. I got yet another campus job, one that I still look back on fondly, wishing I could have done more in my time in that role. All in all, I completed not just my first year at Embry-Riddle, but my first year on my own. And, if I do say so myself, I think I did a pretty good job in that.

My first summer after starting college consisted of moving back home to work at a waterpark just about everyday. Nothing too eventful, just making sure everyone there was having fun and staying safe. I found it to be a great way to productively enjoy my summer. Although, that summer did go by pretty fast, especially considering I had to be back at the Daytona Beach campus a couple weeks early for RA Training. 

RA Training marked the beginning of my second year at Embry-Riddle. Again, terrified. Excited, of course, but terrified. I remember having an absolute blast at training. Sure, we had some early mornings and some long training sessions. But, all of it was worth it for the experiences I had and the people I met. I remember visiting my older sister in the housing office often, maybe even 3 or 4 times a week (She was a graduate assistant for Housing and Residence Life my first year as an RA). I remember attending some of my first Embry-Riddle hockey games, and also working some of my first RA duty shifts, and writing my first incident reports too. I remember my first time recruiting for Sigma Kappa (my sorority), and my first time observing a friend’s flight. I remember getting to take engagement photos for a coworker, and having to keep that secret for a whole month. During my second year, I was in my first episode of the Avion Broadcast, and would continue doing that for the upcoming year (more on that later). I got to see one of my best friends, my sister Megan, graduate with her Master’s degree in Human Factors Psychology. I also attended my first (and only, so far) Taylor Swift concert with my sisters (3 of them, and biological, not sorority sisters) and a friend. My sisters and Taylor pretty much rounded out my year, and brought me to my second summer after starting college and my first summer staying around in Daytona Beach. 

During my second summer, I continued to work as an RA, and I also started work as a lifeguard at the new Embry-Riddle fitness center pool. Once again, my main focus was on making sure everyone was having fun and staying safe. I got the chance to ride in a seaplane, which I highly recommend, and I got to celebrate the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with one of my sorority sisters. So, Taylor rounded out my summer too and brought me back to reality aka year two of RA Training. 

My second go-around as an RA kickstarted by third year at ERAU, and my last full school year prior to graduation. (Terrifying. Exciting, but terrifying.) I remember getting to be a part of training scenarios for the new RAs, and once again, Taylor Swift was involved. This is one of those “you had to be there” moments, and I’ll just leave you with the fact that I had a blast and loved getting to make a lot of people laugh during some pretty intensive training scenarios. I remember starting in my role as SGA Senator for the College of Business, and starring as a co-anchor for the Avion Broadcast. I also remember breaking my foot, and spending essentially a whole semester on crutches. I remember getting to visit Salem, MA with my younger sister and my mom near Halloween, which was especially spooky. I remember spending my first Thanksgiving with the housing staff, rather than with my family at home. I got yet another job, this time off campus, as a server. I started looking for a place to live for my last summer and my last semester. One of my favorite memories from this year, though, has to be my trip to San Diego, CA with The Avion for the Spring 2024 Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) Spring College Media Conference. Another favorite has to be getting to see another one of my best friends graduate with his Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Business Administration. I also remember getting to compete in Delta Chi’s first ever Martlet Madness Philanthropy Competition, and getting to meet so many new people. New opportunities and good friends characterize most of this year, and brings me to my last summer before graduating from Embry-Riddle.

Summer 2024 was my last summer before graduation. I remember reprising my role as a lifeguard at the Embry-Riddle pool, after taking the last year off due to injury and then further scheduling conflicts. I remember moving into my first ever apartment, but certainly not my last. I spent a lot of the summer evenings at work, serving, usually after spending a day reading a book at the pool at the apartments or after work at ERAU. I also remember purchasing a bottle of wine with my name on it (seriously, the brand was Chloe) to celebrate my 21st birthday. While the summer may not have been the most exciting, it brought me to where I am now. A new apartment, and my last semester of my undergraduate career.

My last semester. I feel as though it’s hard to reflect fully on the semester, mostly because I don’t want to accept the fact that it is almost over. (I’m terrified. Excited, but terrified.) The semester started off smoothly, but pretty quickly, Florida weather began to wreak havoc. 2 individual instances of classes getting canceled due to a hurricane was not on my bingo card for the semester, but that did in fact occur. This might have made the semester slightly easier to handle, but I’m still not sure. As I’m sitting here writing this, I am procrastinating some final projects, again, refusing to believe this chapter of my life is almost over. I will work on those projects when I’m done writing this, but first, I want to end this reflection on a note of thanks.

Thank you, first, to my parents, who have always pushed me to work as hard as I can, and have helped me get to the point I am now. Thank you to my sister, Megan, who was always by my side, even when I was wrong. Even though Megan is older than me and was at ERAU longer than me, she didn’t mind being known as “Chloe’s sister.” Thank you for staying back and watching me shine. Thank you to my sorority sisters, specifically Steph, my biggest hype-woman, and Sam, my forever favorite lunch date, and Kel, my favorite person to laugh with about feeling like ducks when it rains a lot. Thank you to my sorority sisters turned roommates, Nicole, Jemma, Livy, and Erin. Whether it was a week of being roommates, a couple months, or almost a whole year, thanks for taking me in. Thank you to every employer I ever had on this campus, all of you were incredibly understanding, and always pushed me to do my best work. I wouldn’t be where I am without those experiences. Thank you to my many friends who have helped me realize my worth, and have loved me even when I didn’t love myself. Thank you to my professors, who have taught me so much, and again, I promise I’ll do those projects when this is done. Thank you to Matthew, who inspires me everyday to work harder than anyone ever expects me to, to never stop working to be my best self, and for allowing me to be fully myself, whether that involves taking myself a little too seriously or not seriously at all. There are far too many more people to thank, but if you took the time to read this far, thank you. I love you all, and I hope we’ll cross paths again after graduation. There are also so many more memories I didn’t mention, but if we share those memories, just know I am forever grateful for every single one of them. 

This might be my last post here, but in all honesty, I’m not quite sure. Maybe I’ll write another just to continue procrastinating (kidding). Again, thank you. Here’s to the exciting future. Terrifying future, of course, but exciting.

Sincerely,

Chloe Christovich

11/14/2024

More Than Just a Student

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You may wonder, what is my life like besides being a student? Maybe you don’t, but it seems to me that life as a student is probably pretty self-explanatory, and at times, pretty boring. So, allow me to write about everything but the classes.

Me and a fellow RA & sorority sister and Ernie the Eagle!

To start, I’ve been an RA since Fall 2022. I was in New Residence Hall 2 for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, then moved to Doolittle for Summer 2023. After that, I went back to New Hall 2 for Fall ‘23 and Spring ‘24. I lived in New Residence Hall 1 as a freshman, so I’ve seen my fair share of different dorms on campus. I’ve also lived on campus for three years, obviously, and I will say, it’s certainly got its benefits. For example, if I wake up a little late, no worries! Class is a brisk 5 minute walk away. But if I didn’t live on campus, I’d be telling a different story. One thing I will say that I wish I had was a full kitchen, but hey, you win some, you lose some. Overall, life on campus is pretty nice, and I’m gonna miss it next semester when I’ve got an apartment somewhere in the area.

My official SGA headshot.

Besides being an RA, I get involved in pretty much anything I can. I am a member of SGA as a student senator for the College of Business! With the Student Senate, I am the Senate’s secretary, so I keep track of a lot of stuff from our weekly meetings, and I work very closely with the SGA Vice President. As College of Business Senator, I work to make the college a better place for fostering learning and connectivity. I also act as a liaison for the Center for Faith and Spirituality, and I help out there where help is needed. My time in this role has already taught me so much, from time management, to working better with others, Robert’s Rules and Parliamentary Procedure, and how much the SGA really does for the student body.

Speaking of SGA, I also spend a lot of time with one of the divisions of the SGA, The Avion! My favorite thing to do with The Avion is our weekly broadcasts. Every week, me and my co-anchor, Kyle, head to the weather studio in the College of Aviation and record for the upcoming episode. We talk about all sorts of things, from weather to campus life, to sports, and even sharks. I’ve had such a blast anchoring since the beginning of the fall, and I’m so excited to see the broadcast come to life in a new and improved form this semester. In addition to the broadcast, I’ve found some fun in writing articles for the monthly issues that The Avion produces. For Issue 1, which was distributed Wednesday, January 31, I wrote two articles titled “Being the Main Character” and “How Barbie Changed my Life.” To me, it doesn’t matter if no one reads those articles. It does matter that I was passionate about something and took the initiative to channel some creative energy into it. I love what I get to do with The Avion, and I do it purely because of that. I don’t get paid, I don’t get discounts. I just get to do something I love surrounded by people who have supported me from day one.

Me and my co-anchor Kyle, at our anchor desk preparing to record for the broadcast.
Me and a Sigma Kappa sister in our jerseys for Jersey Friday!

I am also a member of a sorority called Sigma Kappa. The sorority has allowed me to meet tons of new people and get involved in all sorts of things on and off campus. I’ve gotten to do all sorts of service projects and fundraising to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, gerontology research, the Inherit the Earth initiative, and the Maine Seacoast Mission. I also get the opportunity to help other Greek organizations in their fundraising and philanthropic efforts. I joined Sigma Kappa as a freshman in Fall 2021, a little less than two years after the founding date of Sigma Kappa here at Embry-Riddle. It’s been such a joy to watch the chapter grow and improve into so much more than we ever thought a “new” chapter could be. 

This may sound like quite a lot to be doing while also taking classes full time. However, I would definitely recommend it! Sometimes class gets a little boring or not super demanding, or you just want to do something fun with your free time! This is just a few examples of things you can do here at ERAU, and there is so much more to get involved in too.

Orientation & Re-Introduction

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Happy August everyone! I’m currently blogging from Daytona Beach, Florida, back on campus as a Resident Advisor (RA) and I’m ready to get the Fall 2021 semester started! The past week or so I’ve spent every day in training for my RA position, my Student Government Association (SGA) position, and for Orientation Team. Since it is a new semester and I anticipate I will meet a lot of new people working around campus during Orientation and Move In, I decided it’s time for a re-introduction!

Hello! My name is Merrick and this is my 5th year working towards a Bachelors of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. I plan to graduate in Spring 2022. My concentration is in Aeronautics, with a minor in Arabic Studies. On campus, I’m an RA, an SGA Associate Justice on the Student Court, an Orientation Team Ambassador, a University 101 Peer Mentor, an Air Force ROTC Cadet, and I blog for the school!

In my free time (which is very limited), when I’m not in class, meetings, doing homework, or studying, you will most likely find me working out. I love to run and workout outside, as well as attend Fitness Classes at the Fitness Center on campus! My app of choice is Spotify, and I love listening to music on my noise canceling headphones. I also love music when I’m running, and I like to listen to podcasts in Arabic for fun. My current favorite is BBC Extra. I try to do yoga every day, particularly in the mornings (even if it’s just for 10-15 minutes when I wake up). I’ve been fairly consistent in that routine for about a year now. If I’m not doing yoga I’m probably sleeping, reading books (my latest find is Grow Rich! With Peace of Mind by Napoleon Hill), or doing an outside activity.

On the weekends if I’m free I will most likely be at the beach, surfing, hiking, on nature walks, or listening to podcasts in English like Ted Talks Daily or Short Wave (a science podcast hosted by NPR).

This is me on a hike from my summer in Alaska!

I love plants. I also love dark chocolate! I drink a lot of water, and also a lot of coffee and tea. In particular, I prefer hot coffee in the mornings, iced tea or coffee in the afternoons, and hot tea in the evenings. I enjoy smoothies, especially on the hot Florida days after a workout.

Some of my plants I keep by the window in my Residence Hall room!

I am so excited to meet my residents this semester and I’m looking forward to greeting all the incoming students during Orientation. If you see me around campus, feel free to say hi!

Keep on keeping on folks, will report back soon!

Summer B & Summer Snacks

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Happy July everyone! I am currently blogging from Norfolk, Virginia where I am enjoying my last few days on the East Coast until the in person Fall semester at Riddle starts again. I’ve had the great opportunity to see family and explore yoga and spin classes, frequent coffee shops, and visit the beach as much as possible in my hometown and I’m getting ready to start the second half of my summer classes (Summer B Term), and begin preparing for the semester of my final year at Riddle… before I graduate in Spring 2022!

I am so excited for my last year. I will be an RA in a different Residence Hall and am happy to get back to all my fun extracurriculars. My last year will include Air Force ROTC, being a Peer Mentor for University 101 classes, being an Associate Justice on the Student Government Association’s (SGA’s) Student Court, and of course being an Orientation Team Leader!

Although my summers are still busy with my summer classes for Arabic studies, they are significantly more relaxed than the hustle and bustle of the Fall and Spring semesters. That being said I have had the luxury as of lately to have the time to briefly relax in between my studies.

Post spin class coffee shop break with my sister!

Books I’ve been reading recently include When: the Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink and The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip and Dan Heath, both of which were recommended by the current Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force (CMSSF Towberman) when he visited ERAU during the Spring 2021 semester and spoke to the Air Force ROTC cadets one morning.

My favorite quick snacks in between classes lately have been chips and salsa, hummus with cucumbers or carrots, unsalted mixed nuts, fresh cherries or watermelon, and frozen banana slices with almond butter, dark chocolate, and sea salt.

One of my favorite super easy, super delicious, refreshing summer snacks!

Frozen banana slices are one of my new favorite study break treats and can even be made in a dorm room! I started by slicing about 3 bananas that were about to go bad, melting chocolate (which can be done with chocolate chips in a microwave for about 15 second intervals, stirring in between), then laying my banana slices flat on tin foil before dolloping with almond butter (or your favorite nut or seed butter), melted chocolate, and sea salt! After all your slices are covered, lay them them flat in the freezer for about 30 minutes, and you will have a super tasty treat that can be transferred to a bag or Tupperware container in the freezer for whenever you need a study break!

Keep on keeping on folks, will report back soon!

Summer Classes & Downtime Recommendations

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Happy June everyone! I am currently blogging from Norfolk, VA and I have some news! Life updates: since the Spring 2021 semester has concluded I got my second 4.0 GPA semester in the B.S. Aerospace Engineering program. This is my fourth out of five years at Riddle, and with only two semesters left… I am very excited!

Small life update: I recently bought a car from a friend who graduated and moved away! I recently drove from Florida back to Virginia, and will be spending my first month of online summer classes in Norfolk and Virginia Beach on Meknes time, before maybe traveling a bit in July and doing my online classes from some places I’ve never been before (stay tuned)! Thus, my May schedule has been filled with traveling back to my home state of Virginia, virtual Zoom meetings for Orientation Team and SGA Student Court, pre-program testing and orientations for my summer Arabic classes through Project GO, the University of Arizona, and the Arab American Language Institute in Meknes, Morocco, sunbathing and working out, and reading and finishing the book Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

Love getting the chance to spend time more with family after the semester ends.

My recent transitional go-tos for staying fit this summer and focusing more on eating healthy and resting/recharging have been going to Hot Yoga in my hometown. Typically Yoga Studios, gyms, and other fitness establishments offer starting specials and since I’ll be back for a month it’s definitely fun to try new things! I’m looking into trying a Spin Class which is essentially a workout on a stationary bike that looks fun too. In addition to being able to venture into fitness studios, I’ve been doing yoga on my own outside in the mornings and I am looking forward to being able to get some sunrise surfing sessions in before June ends. Also, my Youtube fitness class faves are still Yoga With Adriene, Chloe Ting, and POPSUGAR Fitness.

I’ve actually had some down time lately before my summer classes start and plan to read Black, White, and the Grey by John O. Morisano and Mashama Bailey by the pool or at the beach. I have been listening to Leon Bridges, Russ, and am patiently waiting for Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars’s new group Silk Sonic to release their new album on Spotify. Downtime things I’ve been interested in lately are Intuitive Eating, different podcasts on NPR’s Short Wave series (a usually 10-20 min episode on random science topics), catching up on the Handmaid’s Tales on Hulu, and getting excited for Disney+’s release of Raya and the Last Dragon.

Playing catch up on my life, I’ve been trying to do more things I don’t get to enjoy as frequently during the school year. I recently attended a Virtual Zumba Dance class taught by another O-Team member that was a ton of fun, and not something I would typically sign up for.

Homemade pizza in the pizza oven is a super fun perk of being home!

I’ve also been receiving the email newsletter that comes every Friday called Girls’ Night In and the daily (30 second read) newsletter called The Daily Good. Usually I get a ton of emails everyday and checking them can be stressful, so having a few fun reads with good recommendations makes looking at the official emails in my inbox more bearable.

Keep on keeping on folks! Will report back soon with virtual summer class and schedule updates!

Daily Life & Extraneous Happenings

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Happy February everyone! I’m currently blogging from Daytona Beach, Florida and now that I’m back in the groove I would like to share with you a day in the life of an Aerospace Engineering student in Air Force ROTC who works as a Resident Advisor (RA), along with multiple other campus involvements! 

To begin, in AFROTC this semester we have one In-Person physical training (PT) a week, and one “virtual” at home workout PT, in addition to one In-Person Leadership Laboratory (LLAB). If I have either PT or LLAB, I typically wake up around 0500 via an alarm on my phone, sometimes multiple alarms especially if I was up late doing homework. I usually start my day extremely thirsty so when I first wake up I make water, coffee, tea, and a vitamin C drink from a powder I have (I know this might sound like a lot, but I love beverages). Then I do 10-15 minutes of yoga, eat some oatmeal and take my vitamins, and head to ROTC around 0620. After ROTC I typically return to my room between 0800 and 0900 and shower and make second breakfast, which is sometimes more oatmeal, coffee, and fruit if a have it (sometimes oatmeal is subbed with a muffin from the Cadet Lounge).

Then I prep for my day! On my busiest days I have in-person Airplane Stability and Control, Preparation for Active Duty Air Force class, online Aerospace Structures II, in-person SGA Student Court office hours, Space Mechanics, and my bi-weekly 1:1 with my RA supervisor (the Residence Life Coordinator of the residence hall I live in). This week my other obligations include my Returning RA Interview session, a 1:1 with my APAS (Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies) to go over my academic course plan up to graduation, Student Court Hearing Sessions, RA staff meetings, RA duty, workouts, office hours with my professors to ask questions about homework assignments, and my first Community Hangout of the semester – I’m teaming up with my RA hall partner to do a virtual Paint night!

In my free time when I’m not working out I’m probably playing virtual chess with my friends, strategizing Blokus games, or sleeping!

My first 2-Person Blokus game!

My usual schedule typically includes homework, quiz prep, and studying for upcoming tests. Also, I recently joined ERAU’s Surf Club which I’m very excited about. I went surfing for the first time since I’ve been back in Florida over the weekend at Ponce Inlet and it was so much fun! Going to the beach recently was the first time I’ve worn a wetsuit because the water was cold and I had a blast.

The beach when I went surfing with Surf Club!

As I get back to doing homework, I look forward to blogging again soon, keep on keeping on folks, stay safe!

Hope & Half-Way

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Happy October folks! I’m currently blogging from Daytona Beach, we’re about halfway through the semester, almost a month away from finals, and I’m so excited to visit Virginia again come Winter Break.

Mid-terms the past couple weeks were not easy. From my personal experience, college students are some of the most stressed out group of humans I have ever encountered. Maybe it’s because we’re all navigating excessive hours of homework, studying, class, and other university obligations, and there’s somehow only 24 hours in a day? I have found that I am currently coming out of the stressed wave from midterms and the only thing to do now is to keep cruising full speed ahead until the end of the semester. Stay on the grind of prepping for quizzes, doing homework, studying, and using the down time (can it really be considered down time?) between exams to mentally prepare for finals season.

Student Court’s group photo channeling Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ie Harry Potter vibes.

I have been enjoying the little moments recently. This especially includes the few and far between coveted days I get the luxurious chance to sleep in. I also have been feeling very grateful for the little moments I get to catch up with old friends, girl gang brunches never get old especially when they haven’t happened in a few weeks.

This semester has been mentally exhausting, whether it’s from online classes, a global pandemic, general life stressors, or a cumulation of everything, everyone I’ve encountered seems a little off. Navigating “normal” life with so many abnormal aspects doesn’t feel right. Check on your friends! The world could use a little more compassion, understanding, and connection right about now. I am extremely hopeful for the end of the semester and SO excited to use Winter Break to catch up on sleep and mentally recharge.

I have surprisingly made some new friends this semester and even though our interactions are limited to Microsoft Teams calls studying or phone calls, the little bit of connection feels extremely comforting in the cold virtual aura that online classes have presented.

A visual representation of how the Student Court feels about being a little over half way through the Fall 2020 semester.

In other news, SGA Student Court has been going great! As the newest Associate Justice to the team I’m constantly learning and increasing my understanding of how the university functions and its rules, policies, and regulations. We meet virtually once a week to give updates, work on appeal cases, and do other courtly duties. I am so happy to be on such a great team with motivated, hard working, and dedicated individuals who strive to advocate for students. Generally I like to think the universe is for me, and so is everything else, but particularly in this case I can 100% say the Student Court is for you, and I am too.

Will report back soon. Keep on keeping on folks!

Announcements & Roles

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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.
My current progress!

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!

Staying Busy & SGA

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Happy May everyone! I am currently blogging from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Despite mostly having warm and sunny weather, this week we are experiencing Tropical Storm Arthur which means windy, rainy, and cold temperatures… therefore I will not be running outside.

I’ve been spending most of my time post-Spring semester, before summer classes begin, by enjoying this break throughout the month of May with lots of rest and a slower pace of living than I’m used to during the school year. My fitness favorites (rain or shine) have been via Youtube’s Yoga With Adriene and Popsugar Fitness channels, as well as Demi Bagby’s ab workouts and high intensity interval training (HIIT) videos. I have made it a point to do Popsugar Fitness’s 4 min arms video everyday thus far in May and I definitely think its working.

In other news I’ve been missing frequent visits to coffee shops and good vibe study spots, but I’ve managed to make do with creating a chill atmosphere at home with a combination of diffusing essential oils, bird watching (see below) and reading. I have been staying busy by getting outside when I can, but enjoying nature from inside when I’m unable to go outside too. My latests reading endeavors have been the Bhagavad Gita translated by Eknath Easwaran and House to House: An Epic Memoir of War by David Bellavia, quite a contrast but I do feel the balance of the two describe my interests well. 

New May adventures include an addition of a bird feeder where I can make coffee while observing visitors having breakfast.
Planted some herbs! Pictured here are lavender, sweet basil, thyme, and spearmint in the Herb planter bag (with a drainage hole for watering in case anyone was wondering)!

Additionally around the time of final exams I applied for a position on the Student Government Association (SGA). After an interview process, I am officially now an Associate Justice on the Student Court with the job of Clerk, meaning I’m responsible for communication to students regarding hearings and ticket appeal cases. I am very excited and grateful to hold this position and to have an additional platform be able to continue to serve the student body and the positive atmosphere at ERAU!

I have also hopped on the quarantine baking trend! I cheffed it up with some dark chocolate peanut butter brownies and a veggie quiche the other day!

Brownies!
Veggie Quiche!

Keep on keeping on folks, stay safe, wash your hands, cover your faces, and I will report back soon!

We’re 93% There!

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With less than two weeks left in this semester, you have to stop and wonder where the past four months went. I still remember my train ride back to Florida very vividly, despite it happening late August.

But, since it’s near the end of the semester, there’s no time to reminisce: Not yet. Group projects and tests make their final appearances while final exams and course evaluations follow shortly after. But in the midst of organized chaos come some periods of down time.

Chancellor Brady recently held an art exhibit which showcased artwork for students and faculty. Ferrari’s formula one racing team brought an F-1 car to campus. Also, the Student Government Association held a town hall to answer some hot-button topics on the minds of students.

It fascinates me how diverse Riddle is because there’s always something for someone. I guess we have our diverse student body to thank for that. Anyway, I’ll probably make one last post before finals so stay tuned!