Greek Week Recap

The craziest week of any fraternity or sorority member’s life has finally come to a close!

For those of you have no idea what I’m talking about – I’m talking about Greek Week! This week takes place every spring semester and consists of different events that each fraternity and sorority can participate in to show pride for their organization. Think of it like a mini version of the Olympics! So all of the sororities go against each other in the events, and the winners of each event get points so they can become Greek Week Champions. This was a crazy year for my sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma, because we were defending our title.

Day #1: Tug-of-War

The first event of Greek Week was the classic game of Tug-of-War. Each fraternity and sorority created a team of five of their strongest members to go against other teams. Each team stands on opposite sides of the same rope, and as you would expect, they pull until the loser’s flag passes the pole. Tri Sigma’s team lost the first round to Theta Phi Alpha, but won the second round against Alpha Xi Delta, so we ended up placing second in Tug-of-War!IMG_1584

Day #2: Bubble Soccer

Bubble Soccer was the one event I was supposed to participate in! Bubble Soccer is just like regular soccer, except each person has to wear a giant bubble suit. This is entertaining because if people get too close, they start bouncing off one another! Unfortunately for us, the weather on this day wasn’t very permitting, so Bubble Soccer ended up being canceled.

Day #3: Boat Race

My favorite event in Greek Week has to be the Boat Race because it requires athletic skill and creativity. Each team has to construct a boat that they will be able to paddle across the pool without it falling apart. The team with the fastest time out of two attempts wins first place! My roommate Sierra was the one who made our boat, and she was also one of people to ride in it, along with Clare, one of our new members. During their first attempt, the boat capsized. Luckily, we had the chance at a second attempt! Sierra decided to go in the boat alone this time, which was good because it meant less weight, but it also meant less power. Somehow she was able to use both of her arms to paddle and she KILLED it! Because of Sierra’s smarts, we won first place in the Boat Race!

Day #4: Chariot Race

The Chariot Race – when the engineers at Embry-Riddle are truly put to the test. This race is very similar to the Boat Race, but instead of a boat, each team has to make a “chariot”. Not only do they have to make a chariot, but they must also have someone ride in it. This was our weakest event by far. Our team’s chariot broke on our first attempt, so we ended up placing in third.IMG_1579

Day #5: Softball Game, Dime & Rice Wars

The last day of Greek Week consisted of the Women’s Softball Game, which also celebrated Alpha Xi Delta’s Light It Up Blue week! In order for each organization to get points for their team, they need a certain percentage of their members to attend the game. Although we had a great turn out from our sorority, it wasn’t enough to make us the Greek Week champions and we ended up placing in second. But although we weren’t the overall winners for Greek Week this year, we did win in other aspects, which brings me to the Dime and Rice Wars…

Rice Wars was put on by one of the fraternities, Lambda Chi Alpha. Because their philanthropy is Feeding America, they decided to award points to the fraternity and sorority that brought in the most pounds of rice, so that it could be donated to a local food bank. Tri Sigma went rice crazy and we donated over 800 pounds of rice! It felt great knowing that our contributions would be feeding hungry families.IMG_5573IMG_1503

Dime Wars is when each organization has a bucket and earns points for every dime that is put in. The catch is that anything that isn’t a dime subtracts points. This was the craziest part of the week, because people were bringing in hundreds of dollars in dimes. The best thing about Dime Wars was that the money in each bucket went to that organizations philanthropy. At the end of the week, Sigma Sigma Sigma raised $680 for our philanthropy, the Robbie Page Memorial Fund, which supports play therapy for children in hospitals.

So although Sigma Sigma Sigma got second place in Greek Week overall, we definitely killed it when it came to supporting not only our own philanthropy, but others as well! Can’t wait for next year!

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It’s great to be a Tri Sigma!

Turkey, Family & The National Dog Show

I am back from Thanksgiving break! I am so thankful for the fact that I was able to get three days off of school so I could go home and spend the Thanksgiving holiday with my family and friends. It was definitely a break well-needed.

In classic Thanksgiving fashion, my mother made a turkey and my grandparents came over to my house to visit. While my family was making food, I got to watch The National Dog Show (a personal tradition of mine), and I was so impressed by the winner. The dog that won the “Best in Show” title was a Skye terrier named Good Time Charlie and he was so cute!

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My mom and I kissing my 100 year old Grandpa Bob!

After Thanksgiving dinner, my mother and I went early Black Friday shopping and I was able to get new clothes.  I also bought a Darth Vader mug (I love Star Wars), but I couldn’t find it when I was packing up for Daytona, so I guess my mom hid it away for Christmas.

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Connor and I at Universal Studios

On the day of Black Friday, I decided to stay away from the malls and instead go to Universal Studios with one of my Sigma sisters, Connor! Although I work at Universal, this was really exciting for me because I never get to go there during the holiday season. The best thing about going on Black Friday was that since everyone was out shopping, the park wasn’t too busy and we were able to go on all the rides we wanted to!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving break and is ready to tackle finals!

Change is Good!

As the fall semester comes to a close, it is time to start preparing for the spring! You may think it’s crazy that we’re already getting ready for something that is still months down the road, but that’s college for you. The end of the semester is when students start deciding what classes they want to enroll in and what leadership positions they want to take on. After finding out about my classes and my positions, all I can say is that I’m excited for the spring!

One of the things that excites me for the spring is that I will finally be starting my Engineering Science classes for the Aerospace Engineering program! These classes will include Dynamics, Fluids, and Solids, which are the three classes that are the building blocks for all of the engineering fields. These classes are also three of the most difficult classes on campus and when they are taken together they are known on campus as “The Gauntlet”. It is called this because it is the last true test and once you get through “The Gauntlet”, you can get through anything. I’m looking forward to taking this challenge head-on!

Next spring I will also be taking on a leadership position in my sorority, Tri Sigma. I will serve as Eta Tau’s 2016 Vice President of New Member Education, which is one of the most important positions on the Executive Board. This is because I will be responsible for educating all of our new members for the spring and fall semesters about everything Sigma Sigma Sigma! This excites me because I will be able to share my passion and knowledge for Sigma with our new members and hopefully they will love it just as much as I do. The position will also bring me closer to my sisters, which will be great. Kealey and Lindsey, who are other My Life @ Riddle bloggers, will also be serving on the exec board! Kealey will be Vice President of Operations and Lindsey will be Treasurer. I’m looking forward to spending more time with these two, as exec members and sisters!

Another organization I had the honor of being selected for is the Women’s Ambassador Program. This program’s goal is to strengthen the bond between prospective female students, current students, and alumni while also creating a healthier and more diverse University atmosphere. Since Embry-Riddle’s female population makes up about 18 percent of the student population, the program aims to increase female student enrollment and retention. I’m so excited to be a new ambassador because it was something I have wanted to do since coming to the campus, and now I will be able to positively impact the college experiences of young women!

The spring semester will be bringing on many changes, and I couldn’t be more excited! It will be the semester where I will grow as not only an engineering student, but as a leader as well. I guess change really is good!

Change Quote

I Should Be At A Rocket Launch Right Now

Hello, hello! Things have been crazy the past few days and it’s only going to get crazier from here on out.

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10/10 will do again. Thank you Newman!

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This Embraer E-175 was only 15 days old when I took this picture last week.

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The cockpit is very stylish and somewhat roomy!

For the last two weeks, a friend of mine, who happens to be a flight instructor for Riddle, had been coaching me in the flight simulators that we have here on campus. He put me through engine failures, landing patterns, IFR approaches, and stalls. As someone who really enjoys flying but cannot afford to do so in reality, this is a great substitute, and I really do appreciate him doing that for me. Plus, having a flight instructor guide you through everything makes flying the simulators a lot more fun and meaningful.

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I didn’t understand Rachel Week’s costume. She told me who she was dressed as and now I feel stupid.

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This guy’s costume was the best I don’t care what everyone else said.

This Wednesday, I covered Tri Sigma’s 8th annual fashion show which was very interesting. Because I’ve never covered the fashion show before, I was technically going in blind when I accepted the task. At the end of the day though, I was able to capture some memories that will last a lifetime for everyone involved, and I got practice in shooting fashion shows: a win-win if you ask me.

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Actually this guy was the funniest.

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ERMERGERD ITS A ROCKET. ERMERGERD.

Probably my biggest highlight so far was that I was cleared by the Air Force to cover ULA’s (United Launch Alliance) IIF-11 launch that was supposed to happen today (Friday). Unfortunately, the launch was scrubbed until Saturday because of a leak in the water suppression system. It’s also because of the scrub that I won’t be able to cover the Stewart Airshow that’s happening this weekend as well.

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“Oh so artsy b&w image.”

Regardless, I had a blast on Thursday going out and setting up remote cameras out on the launch pad. I got to meet some really nice people and saw some familiar faces from the last time I was at Cape Canaveral which was back in April for SpaceX’s CRS-6 launch. I was also amazed at how close ULA let us media credentialed individuals get to the rocket. I was definitely a lot closer to the Atlas V than I was to the Falcon 9.

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Lens flairs so unnecessary they call me JJ Abrams.

With this semester coming to a close in just 4-5 weeks, (I know right?) I find it hard to believe that we’re now at this point in the semester. Actually, let’s just forget that the end is near and look towards my next update. Sounds like a good plan. Cheers!

Sigma Sigma Sigma

Hey Friends!

It’s that time of the year again! Recruitment for all of the Greek organizations here on campus! It was a year ago that I went through the recruitment process and it was one of the best decisions I have made since being here at school! Throughout the recruitment process we are able to meet lots of new girls around the Embry-Riddle community and express to them what being a part of Sigma Sigma Sigma is all about.

There are many different stereotypes affiliated with fraternities and sororities. Many people think that a sorority is just about “paying for your friends, partying, and hazing” but these things are far from the truth. For my sisters and I, being a part of Tri-Sigma, is about being a part of something bigger than ourselves. 

Sisterhood: I have a group of women that push me to be a better version of myself. No matter where I am, I can reach out to any one of my sisters and I know that they will be there for me. We all joined Tri-Sigma for many different reasons but we stayed because we all found something that we loved in the organization and in each other.

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Myself, my sisters Maddy, and Melanie, and our newest members Rachel and Lindsey!

 

Philanthropy: One of the most important aspects of our organization is how we give back. We host many different events on campus that give back to our philanthropy, The Sigma Sigma Sigma Foundation and the Robbie Page Memorial Fund. We also support our local philanthropy the Domestic Abuse Council, which is very near and dear to my heart. Not only do we serve the community but we serve each and every one of our sisters, by making them more outstanding members of this community.

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Jordan, myself, and Alissa at our first recruitment event!

 

Academics: Currently we have the highest sorority GPA on campus which we are all very proud of! We understand that being a part of Sigma is important, but we also understand that above all we are here for our education, and that is the most important thing. Without education, we can not uphold the values that we stand for as Tri-Sigma women.

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First Class family at Bid Day!

 

Fun: Lastly, Sigma Sigma Sigma has provided me with the most fun that I have had while being at college. I have met so many different people in and outside of the Greek community because of Sigma. We also are much more active in on campus events, and participate in different events like greek week! (a competition between all the different greek organizations)

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My fellow Women’s Ambassador Lindsey and I at bid day! Welcome to the sisterhood 🙂

 

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Sigmas having fun at yoga together!!

 

 

Recruitment every semester is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on why I joined the organization as well as share my experiences with other women around the Embry-Riddle community. Two of my fellow Women’s Ambassadors made the decision to come out for recruitment this semester and are now two of the newest members of Sigma! I couldn’t be happier to welcome these amazing women into our organizations and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.

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Ambassadors Kalina, myself and Lindsey at our first recruitment event!

While juggling all of the organizations that  am involved in as well as my three jobs on campus and school, things can definitely get overwhelming!  It important to remember first why we are all here at school.. its for school!  My involvement with the Women’s Ambassador Program, and Sigma Sigma Sigma would not be possible without first making my academics a priority! We are just about half way through this semester and that means that classes are definitely beginning to pick up! It’s time to start cracking down and making sure that my work does not begin to suffer! I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to get involved on campus. For me, these organizations give me a lot of the motivation and support that I need to get through the stressful times of school! I’ll make sure to keep you updated on all the exciting experiences I have with everything I’m involved in while being down here at Embry-Riddle!

Until Next Time!

-Kealey

 

Senior Year Adventures!

“There are no secrets to success: don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work and persistence.” – Colin Powell

Through all my years of school, experiences, hardships, and opportunities, I have found that there is nothing more true than these words from Colin Powell. I have worked hard my entire life, keeping the main goal in focus, in order to one day reach my dream of becoming an engineer for a NASCAR team. And you know what? It has absolutely paid off!

This is what I love about Embry-Riddle.

Being involved at Embry-Riddle and being a part of the Mechanical Engineering department has given me more opportunities than I could ever imagine. Because of my successes at ERAU, I have recently taken on a position that I have dreamed of my entire life! I am happy to announce that I am now the Crew Chief for Elaine Larsen’s Miller Welding Jet Racing team for the 2015 season. I will be traveling with the team again for the 2015 IHRA Nitro Jam Racing Series and will be a part of the first all-female jet racing team! This position will be perfect for me as I look to improve upon my hands-on skills and continue to learn about the maintenance done on these jet dragsters. Check out the press release below:

 Larsen Motorsports Fiery Female Debut for 2015

Crew Chief Elaine and Paige

 

Besides taking on this new role, school has been extremely busy for me, like always! I am working on my Senior Design Project for the Formula SAE team. In previous years, Embry-Riddle has participated in the Formula Hybrid competition, but this year, we have switched to the Formula SAE competition because it coincides more with our Mechanical Engineering curriculum under the High Performance Vehicle track. I am currently on the Suspension team and the Vehicle Integration lead. My responsibilities include the design of the a-arms, tie rods and push rods, spindle, and upright, as well as ensuring that each subsystem in the vehicle works well in the overall design. Not only do we get to design the entire vehicle as a team, but we get to build and test it next semester in order to prepare for competition in May.

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Formula Hybrid Vehicle at competition last year


Along with Senior Design, I have been learning Computational Fluid Dynamics in my Vehicle Aero class. This is an extremely tedious class, but I have been learning industry software in order to analyze the aerodynamics on a vehicle. This has by far been my busiest semester because of all of the long projects I’ve had to complete, but I have learned so much this semester with all of the engineering software I am learning and design work that I have done.

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Screenshot of the grid used to analyze the aerodynamics of a vehicle

This semester hasn’t been all work. I’ve remained actively involved in my organizations, including Orientation Team and Sigma Sigma Sigma. I helped organize a philanthropy night at a Women’s Volleyball game called the “Volley Against Domestic Violence” in order to raise awareness for Tri Sigma’s local philanthropy, the Domestic Abuse Council. We sold t-shirts for the event, held a food drive, and raised almost $900 to donate to the DAC.

Tri Sigma at the Volley Against Domestic Violence

Tri Sigma at the Volley Against Domestic Violence

I participated in my last Orientation as an O-team ambassador and it was such a blast. O-team has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my college careers and I will definitely miss it. I am proud to represent the university and am proud that I am able to have such a huge impact on the new students and families. O-team has been a second family for me and has been such an amazing support system throughout my time here at ERAU.

Fall 2014 Orientation!

Fall 2014 Orientation!

My O-family!

Well, I will leave you with a couple pictures of my adventures this semester! Next weekend I have my first jet dragster race as a crew chief in training! (: I’ll keep you posted!

Tri Sigma Hippie Themed Recruitment Week!

Tri Sigma Hippie Themed Recruitment Week!

Welcomed 9 amazing women to our sorority!

Welcomed 9 amazing women to our sorority!

Participated in the Domestic Abuse Council's Purple Parade

Participated in the Domestic Abuse Council’s Purple Parade

Hanging out with the Deans!

Hanging out with the Deans!

Hanging out down Beale Street for the IHRA Nitro Jam World Finals in Memphis!

Hanging out down Beale Street for the IHRA Nitro Jam World Finals in Memphis!

Elaine Larsen lighting up the skies at the IHRA Nitro Jam World FInals

Elaine Larsen lighting up the skies at the IHRA Nitro Jam World FInals