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!
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?
Ryan Marr (GSIS) is in Tanzania on an African Flagship Languages Initiative (AFLI) scholarship from the Boren awards. He spent last semester studying Swahili and living with a host family in Arusha, Tanzania. Now, he is doing an internship at Nkoaranga Lutheran Hospital. Below are excerpts from an interview with him.
African and South Asian Flagship Languages Initiative (AFLI/SAFLI) Interview Ryan D Marr (AFLI)
How did you become interested in studying an AFLI language? I became interested in studying an AFLI language and Swahili in particular due to the general lack of academic and strategic interest demonstrated to the extremist threats present in Africa. While studying for my bachelor’s degree, I focused my attention and eventual thesis on counter-insurgency and irregular warfare. Insurgencies thrive in areas of minimal oversight and I saw great potential for the expansion of groups such as Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab in areas of limited economic progress. Swahili is one of the most widely spoken languages within the continent and its value as an intelligence asset has already been proven through Al-Shabaab’s online recruiting efforts targeting Kenyan and Tanzanian youth. The ability for these groups to take advantage of poor cooperative security efforts and intelligence sharing has been demonstrated time and again, including the recent devastating attack on a Kenyan military camp in Somalia. In order to best safeguard East Africa’s future it is absolutely necessary that Swahili acquisition become a priority for the defense community.
How did you learn about the AFLI program? I became aware of the AFLI program through my mentor, Dean Phillip Jones at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona. He was familiar with my area of focus, (Global Security and Intelligence Studies) and we discussed at length the security situation within East Africa from both a historical and strategic perspective. He offered professional insight regarding the significance an opportunity such as the AFLI program would provide to my career and supported my reasoning for choosing Swahili.
What aspects of the program interested you? After having studied abroad with the Critical Language Scholarship in Luckow, India, I became aware that I wanted a program with a longer immersion opportunity and a more like-minded peer group. I knew that the AFLI program would surround me with people dedicated to government service and determined to act as student ambassadors abroad in order to further perpetuate a positive image of our nation as a whole. The combination of ten months of dedicated language study in correlation with a peer group that I know will prove invaluable in years to come are the two main factors that drew me towards the AFLI program.
Was your domestic study experience what you expected it to be? My domestic study experience met my general expectations for an intensive two month program whose general purpose was to provide the ground work necessary to function and progress overseas. I felt the amount of attention dedicated to cross-cultural awareness and language immersion was impressive considering the circumstances.
Tell me about your overseas study experience? Homestay/Living? My home-stay experience has been incredible and I have been pleasantly surprised at how quickly and sincerely I was accepted as a member within the family unit. A positive home-stay is absolutely essential for language development and I have personally found that I have been able to refine my Swahili most effectively within the familiar context of my home. It is far easier to leave your comfort zone within the security of a trusted host family and, for example, utilize new vocabulary than in a classroom full of your peers. I have personally established a very close relationship with my host mothers, (they are sisters who live together), and they have proven an invaluable resource not only for Swahili but also as strong, positive examples of proper conduct and decorum. They have made the transition into the community seamless and treat me as no less a part of their family as their own children. I have become so comfortable within the local community between work and school that we love to go out as a group on weekends to local restaurants to catch up and tell stories about people we are all familiar with. I will miss them greatly upon my return home but have every intention of returning as soon as feasible.
Courses? The coursework was demanding as is to be expected in any intensive language immersion but very manageable. The emphasis was placed on maximizing immersion whether in the form of host family interaction or even conversation with school staff. While a great deal of language development is dependent upon private study, the professors were always ready to provide assistance and the classes were predominately productive.
Internship? My internship at Nkoaranga Lutheran Hospital has been one of the most profound experiences I have encountered since leaving the military. The amazing work that is being done with such minimal equipment and even less funding is awe inspiring. One particular instance stands out in my mind after an especially grueling day and has opened my eyes to the medical field as a potential career path. As I sat next to the surgery table soaked in sweat from exertion and the Tanzanian summer heat, the young man whose leg we had just spent the last five hours mending awoke from anesthesia and said with tear laden eyes the words that have changed my entire life’s perspective; “Asante sana kaka, nashukuru kwa vitu vyote”, which in English translates to “Thank you very much brother, I appreciate everything”. He expressed his gratitude towards me for helping piece his leg back together with such heartfelt sincerity that I am seriously considering shifting my career objectives toward medicine. The ability to have such a profound and productive impact on someone in such desperate need has left an indelible mark upon my person.
What was the best part of your overall experience? The best part of my overall experience have been the moments I realize I am thinking in Swahili and that it is no longer a conscious effort to continuously cross translate but rather that it is developing into a learned means of communication. The excitement of being able to effectively communicate with someone without hesitation and enjoy a meaningful conversation in Swahili for the first time was a unique and memorable experience. To that effect, being able to speak with the patients at Nkoaranga Hospital and offer solace, advice, and being able to actively assist ares experiences that I feel will never be matched. The impact this internship has had on my personal growth let alone language development is difficult to articulate, but I know I have become a part of this community in a way I could have never imagined.
What are your plans for the future? My plans for the future include applying for graduate schools with a focus on continuing my foreign service within the federal government. I would like to continue my research regarding asymmetrical warfare and counter-insurgency from an anthropological standpoint. I am also considering applying to medical school in order to work for MSF, or Doctors Without Borders, and provide aid where it is so desperately needed. I am comfortable in areas of conflict and the time I have spent here has motivated me to assist to my full potential. In addition, I plan on advancing my Swahili education through private tutors and personal study in order to assist East Africa to the best of my abilities upon my return.
Would you suggest the African Flagship Languages Initiative program to other students? Why? I strongly recommend the AFLI program to other students due to three main factors; length and depth of immersion, the criticality of the AFLI mission, and the chance to expose yourself to options otherwise left unconsidered. Being able to study abroad for eight months gives students of any language ability the chance to become truly comfortable with the language and reinforce it daily in every imaginable context. I am by no means a strong foreign language learner, but I have succeeded beyond what I thought was possible in great part due to the length and breadth of my experience here. Secondly, the AFLI mission is undeniably applicable to not only the domestic security agenda, but that of the global community as a whole. Africa is a continent of amazing potential but remains incredibly vulnerable to forces who wish to revisit an era of manipulation and extortion. The visceral difference in interaction between a Westerner who knows no or little Swahili compared to my peers and I is drastic. We are immediately embraced and seen as a positive force in an area so willing to forgive misstep and so grateful to others who embrace their language and culture. They understand that we are not here as simple tourists but as individuals invested in their quality of life and the future of their nation. Cross-cultural awareness and language acquisition are the crux of effective foreign policy application. The issues that plague this part of the world can never be resolved unless the security threats are addressed first and a stable situation within which development can occur is fostered. The entirety of Maslow’s hierarchy is built on top of a firm foundation of security, and the AFLI program is a catalyst towards that end. Finally, I strongly recommend the AFLI program to any and all students in order to expose themselves to a part of the world that will transform them into more compassionate and effective global citizens. I never could have imagined the impact this experience would have on me and today I am a far different individual then when I first began my application those many months ago. I have found new purpose and the people I have encountered, shared meals with, and loved have provided me with a focus that will prove the keystone to the rest of my career and life no matter the direction.
If you are one of those poor college kids suddenly faced with the need to purchase a car then here are some really good questions to ask yourself:
These are the most important aspects that you need to think about before you make such a big decision. Before you even start looking for cars you need to have a plan so, figure out your finances before you start looking and find an insurance company that will work well for you.
Another factor to consider is finding a car you need not one you want. When you graduate and get a real job you will have to start paying off student loans so don’t get a ridiculous sports car that will drain your finances. If you can’t pay off your car and you can’t pay off your student loans you will wind up in big trouble. Be smart, get an affordable and reliable car which will allow you to travel with your belongings if need be.
Don’t forget that when you bring your new car on campus you have to register it with the Campus Safety Office. The fee is $80 and the parking permit is valid for a full calendar year. For more info on how to accomplish registering your vehicle check out the Safety website.
This applies to our incoming students as well, you are adults now so embrace the chance to make your first big decision. This decision should be one that makes you proud 🙂 Good luck everyone, hope the advice helped, and thanks for reading!!
As a college student the one thing that everyone anxiously awaits yet doesn’t come around very often is the famous three-day weekend.
Three-Day weekends are a great way for all of us at Riddle to stop and take a deep breath just before things get hectic — the lead up to Midterms. It’s a chance for us to get out and explore and check out more of what the West Coast has to offer. Now for those like me who grew up in a whole other region of the United States (the South in my case) everything on the West Coast fascinates me even after 3 years of living here. It’s absolutely gorgeous and very diverse.
San Diego, CA
My friend and I decided to hop in my car and drive about 6 hours West to the beautiful city of San Diego to soak up some much needed sun and escape the winter temperatures in Prescott in exchange for 80-degree heat. Maybe it’s the winter blues but I had been craving the sight of the beach for months and could no longer resist the urge to jump into some nice cool ocean water under some very warm and inviting sun rays. This weekend was perfect for that!
One of the main reasons why I chose to attend the Embry-Riddle Prescott campus over the Daytona Beach campus was because of the campus’ prime location. There are so many incredible opportunities to visit some impeccable places that are perfect when you just need a break from reality.
I was able to fulfill some of my childhood desires on this three-day weekend trip like swimming in the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my life and snorkeling in Mission Bay, well attempted snorkeling until my fear of being in cloudy water started to kick in. I also found a new hobby — paddle boarding!
Before I headed off to college I would’ve never expected that I would experience so many amazing things in my life and accomplish so much at such a young age. This weekend’s trip made it evident to me that I have so many things to be so grateful for and I don’t believe any of this would have been possible if it weren’t for me choosing to study at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and meeting some of the most incredible people I’m so thankful to call my family.
Well the cat’s out of the bag: the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory Collaboration, or the LIGO Collaboration, has detected and confirmed the existence of gravitational waves. Finally, I don’t have to giggle to myself as my friends ask why I am doing research on a project that had such a small chance of success. Finally, I don’t have to keep secret about one of the biggest discoveries in the modern science, something I have known about since September when it was detected. It is an exciting time, not just to see the amazing results of a project that I am a small, insignificant part of, but also because that means that a completely new field of research has just opened up, gravitational wave astronomy.
Gravitational wave
First, let me explain a bit about gravitational waves, if you haven’t already seen the countless videos. Gravitational waves were first predicted by Einstein in 1916 when he formulated the idea of general relativity.
Blackhole
Collision
In essence, they are the perturbations, or ripples, in the fabric of space and time. They are emitted from massive systems, like coalescing two black holes converging and merging into one, which is actually what LIGO detected, or giant cataclysms like supernovae. They are a confirmation of a theory we have been using for a century, but they are also a new tool we can use to probe the universe. As the comparison goes, “As Galileo’s telescope opened our eyes to the universe, gravitational waves have opened our ears.”
The best part is that I can be a part of the research during this era of discovery, even though I am only an undergraduate student. Embry-Riddle is a host to many esteemed faculty that do research and encourage their students to do research, and there is an entire department dedicated to student research in the form of the Undergraduate Research Institute run by Dr. Anne Boettcher. In fact, three professors in the physics department – Dr. Michele Zanolin, Dr. Brennan Hughey, and Dr. Andri Gretarsson – are involved in the LIGO experiment, and actually are the only scientists in the whole Four Corners area (Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado) that are pursuing this research.
Research for undergraduate students is incredibly important, but also highly demanding. I work ten hours a week, reading papers on high-level statistics, writing proofs, learning to code, and analyzing data. It requires a lot of concentration and persistence, especially since I have had to learn a completely new set of skills and knowledge. And it means that as a student, I have to take initiative and follow through on something I am not receiving a grade for. But in the end, I don’t regret it, since I was able to sit in the conference room at 8:30 am and watch the live press release of something amazing. Since I was able to be a part of something bigger than I was. Since I have learned so much about something so fascinating that otherwise I would have known nothing about. And in the end, we discovered gravitational waves!
Sophia Schwalbe is a Junior in Space Physics, in Air Force ROTC and the Honors Program, and has participated in research with LIGO.
It’s the time of year again that we all anticipate or dread: Valentine’s Day! The only holiday that exists to celebrate the simplest human emotion and the relationships that bind humanity together whether it be as friends or significant others. No matter what you do this Valentine’s Day just remember to have fun! The day isn’t made for single people to mope and complain but to celebrate the friends that they have. So if you are in the single group get over it and go have some fun!!
For those people who aren’t single enjoy the company of your significant other or partner. You don’t necessarily have to go out and do something elaborate you can still have fun just watching a movie or doing something else you enjoy together.
As college students, a lot of dating happens on campus and sometimes people are lucky enough to find their life partner here at Embry-Riddle. For example, I recently heard of a couple who met day one of orientation their freshman year and became instant friends. They are still together as seniors! Sometimes you just know when you find the right person and hopefully all of our readers already have or will soon! Maybe some of our incoming freshman will be that lucky, you never know unless you take the chance.
Whether we all find that person or not, just remember that Valentine’s Day is for everyone, so no moping!!!! Thanks for reading everyone, enjoy all the candy and fun with friends 🙂
Hi I’m Briana Martinez, a student in GSIS at Embry-Riddle but am spending a semester in Florence Italy attending an Italian university through International Studies Abroad. I thought you might like to hear about some of what I’ve experienced so far…
Florence Italy
The academics are very much different here. Very more relaxed and in depth then I was expecting. For instance, one of my classes is in an Italian Prince’s palace inside of a ballroom. The ballroom is filled with plush couches and amazing art pieces. I’ll be sure to send you a pic on Monday. The professors are very passionate about what they are teaching, (not that American ones aren’t) and really draw you in. One thing I noticed is that they are very personable and accommodating to international students and they really want us to feel comfortable and really want us to understand the material they are teaching. Very much reminds me of Embry-Riddle. However, they take class attendance very seriously (going to class is important, I know that). If you miss up to two classes then you will be failed. So, going to class is a must here and very very important.
Gelato!
Piazza della Signoria
Sculpture everywhere.
A street scene.
Duomo, the Basilica di Santa Maria dell Fiore
A year ago today I made one of the best decisions of my life. A year ago today I visited campus for the first time. A year ago today I made the decision to attend Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott Arizona. I was not one of those students who waited till decision day in May to make my decisions. I was lucky, I had already been accepted to all of the schools I had applied to and had narrowed down my list. One in state and one out of state, it was decision time for me. After numerous visits to Washington State University, it was time to take the flight and come visit Embry-Riddle.
Before this trip, I had never been to Arizona and thought it was a place where everything was poisonous and wanted to kill. I was wrong. I was shown the glorious cactuses, the Disney-like rock formations in the Dells, and the wonderful sun of Arizona. After a day on campus, I was sure that this was my home. My tour guide gave me a glimpse into the school, and the students I met on campus loved their majors and were excited to tell me about the school. Seeing the green grass in front of the student union and the dorms where I would be living showed me what life would be like at Embry-Riddle. The thought of moving states away and leaving my family was hard, but once I walked on campus, I knew this would be my home for the next four years.
Looking back on the past year and all the changes, blessings, and challenges I can only smile. The stress of packing up my life and moving to another state (I flew to campus with my parents and fit everything I needed in 3 boxes and 2 carry ons), dealing with homesickness, and falling in love with my major, I could not imagine being anywhere else. Late night adventures, early mornings, and a new family here have made me even more thankful for this decision I made 365 days ago.
As acceptance letters keep rolling in during these next few months I urge you to visit all the schools you are seriously considering. Seeing campus on a computer and seeing it in person can make a world of difference, or at least it did for me. So as you keep going on this adventure, the odds are in your favor that you’ll find the perfect school for you. I am sure that you all will find a home at university, Embry-Riddle or not, and have the ability to look back a year from now and smile!
I love food. I am one of those people who eats seven times a day because if not I get “hangry.” Hangry means I get angry or very unhappy if I do not eat. Thankfully, for me there are plenty of food options on campus. From WOW in the Student Union, the dining hall Earharts, Simply to Go the shop, and Scholars café I never run out of food options.
Freshman are required to have the all access meal plan which allows us to have about 500 meals at the dining hall a week, three transfers a day, and $100 dinning dollars a semester. This means we have access to unlimited food on campus. If you are not a freshman and interested in a meal plan there are lesser meal plans that offer great benefits as well.
Earharts offers eggs, sausage or ham, and pancakes, waffles, or French toast. There is also fruit, cereal, and toast available for breakfast. There are many lunch and dinner option available including salads, sandwiches, pizza, stir-fry, and another chief’s choice which provides many options and a variety. They also have vegan and gluten free options.
When you want something different, there is WOW. WOW offers American style cooking, fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, and other restaurant type of foods. It’s a nice treat that adds more dining options on campus. At WOW, students use transfers which are part of their meal plan to pay for their meal, they get three transfers a day that can be used within each meal period.
Caffeine is a large part of being in college. From coffee to tea, everyone is thankful that there is Scholars Café in the library. Scholars provides Starbucks coffee and a limited food menu to the students, it is great. What makes it better is that it is included in the meal plan! A drink from Scholars is one transfer. Therefore, if you plan accordingly you can have three Starbucks drinks a day.
Simply to Go is the last food option on campus. It offers granola bars, chips, candy, and frozen meals for those days when nothing at the dining hall looks good. Simply to Go uses dinning dollars which all freshman have $100. Personally, I forgot I had $100 dinning dollars last semester and stocked up on snacks before the rapidly approaching end of the semester. It is common to walk into Simply to Go and leave with a bag of snacks and treats to share with friends.
Overall, the food options on campus are endless for freshman. If you are like me and are constantly hungry, you will not be disappointed! In addition, don’t worry about the freshman 15 we have a wonderful gym on campus that is free for students to use, and plenty of hikes and outdoor activities to do as well!
