One Month Left!

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Cherie

Classes are finished on April 29th and as it stands we are a month away from Summer break!!! We are all really excited to be finishing up this semester but, I wanted to give y’all a brief update on what I’ve been doing this past few months.

The major project I’ve been working on this semester is the Detail Design of the aircraft that my team conceptualized last semester. The detail work began with building a 1/48 scale model of the full size aircraft and testing it in the closed circuit wind tunnel in the Tracy Dorlyand Wind Tunnel Lab. Testing was not only super fun but, informative too. We tested parametric variations of the model to determine the maximum and minimum aerodynamic loads it would receive. Our test results came out just as we had expected and we are happily feeding them back into the design right now to see what improvements to the original design we can make.

The 3D Printers used for making our model parts!

Once we finish that we will be working on our final presentation which will take place on April 29! If you are visiting the University on that day make sure to have a look at all the interesting Senior Capstone Presentations. If you are looking into engineering you may be working on a similar project in the future 🙂

Other than that I have just been doing regular school work, AFROTC, Space Grant Research, and volunteering. It has been a fun, crazy, and somewhat relaxed semester all at the same time. If you have any questions about what the average day in the life of a senior at ERAU is like feel free to ask! Thanks for reading everyone!

Last Fraternity Formal in Las Vegas, NV

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Jeffery

When I first arrived to college I never expected to add more members to my family. Growing up I only had to look out for my younger brother who is 4 years younger than me. As I grew older I realized one was all I could probably handle and became very thankful my mom stopped trying for the daughter she always wanted.

When I moved over a thousand miles away from my brother and the comfort, security, and love of my family, I actively sought out a family unit I could truly connect with here at Riddle. Through what I believe was fate, I discovered the greatest family a guy could ever ask for in the men I call brothers of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. Looking out the window of my car glancing over at the sign that reads, “Welcome to the state of Nevada” these very same thoughts made its way back to the forefront of my mind. This was it, my very last fraternity formal as an Embry-Riddle student.

Our group! Austin, Nikki, Dani, Kristen, and Brennan

Oh my how far we’ve all come as a fraternity. Having over 40 men in my life that I can honestly call my brothers is something I never expected at Embry-Riddle. Being a part of a fraternity has been one of the most challenging, stressful, exciting, and rewarding activities I’ve been able to experience during my time here. This year our fraternity believed it was incredibly important to go big or go home so we planned an extravagant formal in Las Vegas, NV to get everyone out of our normal day to day environment so we could enjoy each other’s company as a brotherhood accompanied by our dates in a city that has been made famous for just having a good time; Laissez les bons temps rouler! As we say in the city of New Orleans, meaning let the good times roll!

Sitting at the dinner table with the men and women that I started my journey here at Embry-Riddle with, that have deservedly become my brothers and sisters, made me realize that I have so much to be thankful for in my life. Here I am 21 years old surrounded by an immense amount of love that has helped get me through my best and my worst days without ever asking for anything in return. I don’t know if this journey would’ve been remotely possible without the great men of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and the woman of Alpha Xi Delta and Alpha Sigma Tau sororities. Even though I didn’t win an award for my last formal (still a little salty about that lol) it was such a rewarding feeling being able to look over at my brothers as a senior knowing that I’ll be leaving this fraternity behind in good hands. It really is true, “Brotherhood is the very price and condition of man’s survival,” Carlos P Romulo.

After this weekend it became evident to me that it wasn’t the city that graciously hosted our formal this year that elevated it to one for the books for our fraternity but that ultimately it was the relationships we have all developed over the years being together along with our impeccable growth as a family that made this year’s Pi Kappa Phi formal one that I will always remember as I get ready to take the next step towards accomplishing the goals I have set for myself in my aviation career. I love my brothers of Pi Kappa Phi Iota Eta chapter and I will forever hold you guys near and dear to my heart for the rest of my life. Thank you for such an unforgettable weekend!

Enjoying our time at formal!

Me and the beautiful Sophia! Sister of Alpha Xi Delta

Me and my bestfriend, President of Alpha Xi Delta : Kristen at formal (Mac photo bombing)

Study Abroad in Europe Changed My Life

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Jeffery

“When I met you in the summer!” This very phrase sums up summer 2014 perfectly for me. The amount of people I’ve been blessed to meet along with the different countries I was able to explore made that summer the journey of a lifetime.

Summer ’14 felt as though I was in my own version of the music video for the song “Summer” by Calvin Harris. This simple phrase carries with it an enormous amount of weight that has left behind a great deal of memories imprinted in my mind and in my heart that will follow me for the rest of my life.

I was looking out the large windows of Chicago O’ Hare International airport at the skyline of the city of Chicago when I noticed the impeccably beautiful Boeing 747 and it finally hit me. This was it, this was the moment I had been waiting for all semester; I was getting ready to depart the United States with my sights set on Europe for an entire month. The class I was attending on this study abroad was Aviation Appreciation, administered by the Daytona Beach campus and serves the sole purpose of educating the student on what and how aviation got started here in the United States as well as overseas through two world wars.

The one thing everyone talks about when they describe their experiences studying abroad is personal growth and embarking on the most fulfilling journey of their lives. I get the chills every time I think back to how much Europe changed me as a person. Being 20 years old at the time, getting an opportunity to live in a foreign country for a month, having to rethink everything I thought I knew about life and navigate around a place I had only seen in movies was the scariest and most rewarding experience of my life.

When I returned to the United States and looked at myself in the mirror for the first time so much had changed. The way I saw the world and what I wanted my future to entail was completely different than what it was when I first began my journey at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 2 years prior to this trip. Being a guy from New Orleans, LA this type of thing isn’t something anyone expects would ever be possible for him or her. It really was honestly one of the most surreal moments of my life. My eyes were opened wider than they had ever had been. I was now aware and cognizant of different ways of life, culture and people and I couldn’t even begin to imagine how I was going to be able to return to my routine. I had grown so much spiritually and emotionally; I had fallen deeply in love with Europe.

There’s still not a single day that goes by that I don’t think about the times I spent abroad…watching the changing of guards at Buckingham Palace, catching the tube to visit new friends (whom I still talk to two years later), soaking in all of the beauty that Parliament and the London Eye reveal under the dark skies of London, riding up to the top of the Eiffel Tower to check out life altering views of downtown Paris, lying in the grass at midnight to watch the light show dancing up and down the Eiffel Tower flaunting all of its pure iconic beauty, visiting the incredibly heavy and emotional grounds of the Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany where you could just feel the empty cold empty dark souls that roamed the grounds of the camp during World War II, getting a chance to ditch an engine and glide over the countryside of Germany with the German Alps at the forefront of my view…

That trip taught me so much about a subject that I’ve been passionate about ever since I could talk and say the word, “airplane”. I learned about the people that live on that side of the world and how they truly perceive the world and how they feel life should be lived. It has helped me become a more well rounded and accepting individual to every different culture and background that I now encounter in my life.

I believe the most valuable benefit of my experience studying abroad was the person I became as a result of being overseas and having to rethink how to navigate through life through everyday activities and responsibilities. I found myself scared yet excited, shocked but intrigued leaving me with a greater since of appreciation for other cultures and their lifestyles. I could not understand that by staying here in my own country studying a particular subject.

This world is so large and truly magnificent and I believe every singe human being owes it to themselves to get out there explore, enjoy, learn, and just take in all that has been given to us to experience. Studying Abroad is truly a life altering experience that is priceless beyond words and should be taken full advantage of. I enjoyed my study abroad experience so much that I am currently in the process of preparing for my second study abroad this summer the Troubles in Ireland class being administered by Professor Austin. My advice to you is to get out there and take advantage of this beautiful planet we all call home. There’s a whole world out there just waiting for you to discover. You owe it to yourself to discover the mysteries of this life that will help mold and define you as who you were always destined to be in this world.

“Traveling. It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”

Study Abroad – The City of Lights: Paris

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Adventures

by guest blogger Alexandra Vinck who is studying abroad in Paris for the spring semester 2016.

French baguettes at the Eiffel Tower! About as Paris as it gets!

It has many names…The City of Lights, The City of Love, but I’m lucky enough to call it home. When I moved to Paris at the beginning of the spring semester, I was ready and excited for a new experience. I had spent two and a half years at school in Prescott, and although I love it there, I wanted to try something new. Paris has turned out to be just that, and then some. Paris is exactly as wonderful as everyone says it is. Every street you walk down is beautiful, and every croissant you taste is better than the last one.

Here’s a new friend and I on a school trip to Versailles!

I get to live my life immersed in culture and thousands of years of history. One of my favorite classes I’m taking here is called the History of Paris through Art and Architecture. So not only do I get lectured on important buildings and works of art, but each week we go to a new part of the city and learn all about it. Paris has a very unique atmosphere, because in addition to being filled with history, it’s full of young people and students just living their lives, which makes the nightlife here pretty fun.

Not only am I able to live in this magical city, but also I get to spend almost every weekend travelling and seeing Europe. So far I’ve been to Madrid, Dublin, Prague,

Skiing in Stockholm, Sweden this past weekend

Bordeaux, Versailles, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. Needless to say, my life here so far has been pretty life changing, and I am forever grateful to the people at Embry-Riddle (Kelly O’Brien) that helped make this happened for me, and of course my parents for giving me the opportunity of a life time! Check out some photos below of my life in Paris and some of my travels. Au revoir!

Not exactly studying in a cafe...but this is a super bowl party at an American bar in Paris! Lauren Holdaway is next to me...she's a Riddle student studying in Ireland! She was in Paris for the weekend.

A super bowl party at an American restaurant in Paris! Lauren Holdaway is next to me…she’s a Riddle student studying in Ireland! She was in Paris for the weekend.

Explore Sedona – The Weekend Getaway

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Colton

Sedona, one of the most iconic cities in Arizona, lies just 1.5 hours north of Prescott. With it’s towering red rock formations, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, and bustling village Sedona is the perfect weekend getaway or day trip for Embry Riddle students. Check out the video below as Colton show’s off some of Sedona’s beauty!

https://youtu.be/NXgFORv2w7U

A Week In My Life

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Megan

Welcome to midterms! It is that time of the semester again, exams are here, and the thought of spring break is the motivation to keep working. Even though I am in the midst of midterms, I thought I would share with you what a week normally looks like for me.
Monday: Most people hate Mondays but for me they are not too bad. My classes start at 9 am and end at 3 pm with a two hour lunch break in the middle. After class, I normally study for an hour and finish homework then have dinner. The evening consists of my sorority Alpha Xi Delta’s chapter meeting, which can be a sisterhood event (fun/bonding time), programs (useful information/most often very funny), or our business meeting (serious). Chapter tends to be fun because I get to start the week with my hilarious sisters by my side.

Tuesday: On this day, I have one class and a three-hour lab. My day starts at 6:45 am because I am in class from 7:45 am -12 pm, after that it is off to lunch then I have weekly meetings with my mentor. This year I have become very close with a few leaders in Chi Alpha and they have become my mentors. After my meeting, it is off to the library to study. In the evening, I have Chi Alpha. Every other Tuesday evening we have Tuesday Night Dinner where we carpool over to one of the leaders’ houses, have a home cooked meal, and build some great friendships. On the off Tuesday, I have a leadership meeting, which serves as a time of fellowship with a smaller group of people.

Wednesday: I have four classes again. After my last class at 3 pm, I am off to do work and study. After dinner I have a Panhellenic meeting. This year I had the honor to be elected Membership Vice President for the Panhellenic community. So every Wednesday we have our meetings for all Panhellenic chapters as well as a smaller council meeting, which discusses the fun things that we are planning on campus!

Thursday: This is my easiest day! I have one class which ends at 9 am. After class you can find me doing homework, studying, or going on adventures. This is the day of the week I look forward to the most because it does not have meetings or responsibilities attached, besides one class in the morning. Last week my friends and I ventured out into the dells across the street from campus and found the Red Bridge, which is a little bridge in the center of the dells that is hard to find and a great spot to take picture, we had talked about doing this for weeks.

Friday: Final day of classes for the week and after 3 pm I am done! Friday evenings you will find me at Chi Alpha’s Elevate and the activity after which ranges from gym night to movie night.

The Weekend: I clump Saturday and Sunday together because while I have been at school I have had the opportunity to travel throughout Arizona, Utah, and California on the weekends. If I am in town, Saturdays are pretty boring, some homework, hanging out with friends, and most likely an adventure. Sunday includes Church in the morning and brunch with friends, then finishing all the homework I have pushed throughout the week. If I am out of town, weekends are a lot more exciting. Over the last three-day weekend I had the opportunity to travel to San Diego and stay with a friend’s family for the night, the next day we headed to the beach to meet up with Chi Alpha, and on Sunday spend the day at Six Flags with some of my closest friends. Then we crammed back into a car and drove back to campus. The destination changes weekend to weekend, but the memories and friends made will be there forever.

My weeks are crammed packed with class, studying, work, clubs, and meetings. And my weekends are filled with adventure, friends, and memories. It can be hard to find a balance between school and everything else but if you look, plan, and work hard enough you can to do everything that makes you happy. Not everyone’s schedule is as hectic as mine is, while others are even more hectic, it just depends on the person. But remember, school is important, but it’s also important to do what makes you happy to enjoy life at school. School is hard and you need something to work towards, I work towards the weekends where I get to create amazing memories with my friends. What do you work towards?