Getting in the holiday spirit is easy in Prescott

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Chelsea

After hiking Humphrey’s peak in Flagstaff, my friends and I hurried back to Prescott to catch the last half of Acker night. Every single business, or close to it, has a least one musical performance. You could hear Joy to The World on a banjo, Silent Night by chorus, or rock out to Jingle Bell Rock. Just look at that schedule of events!

The streets of square are lined with good food, group dances, and even pyrotechnic performers. Once the festivities came to an end, we grabbed a delicious dinner at the well-known local favorite, Bill’s Pizza. Prescott has an incredible sense of community similar to Embry-Riddle as seen through this great production.

Acker Night is just one of the many events that take place in the square. This one just happens to be extremely popular because who wouldn’t want to look at that beautifully lit up courthouse! They don’t call us Arizona’s Christmas City for nothin’.

What is Acker Night? Acker Night is produced solely by volunteers and was originally created to achieve the goals of benefactor and Prescott resident, James S. Acker. Mr. Acker first moved to Prescott in the early 1900’s. He was a proprietor of a general store which provided a variety of school and music supplies for the children. In the 1930’s he ran a real estate company where he began to gather parcels of property throughout the community. He left a number of those parcels of land to the City of Prescott to be used for parks and music programs when he passed away in 1955. Along with being a fun tradition, Acker Night combines participating downtown businesses with the support of hardworking musicians who donate their time and their talents. The mutual goal is to keep music alive and thriving for the youth of Prescott. All of the funds raised on Acker Night provide scholarships for music lessons, instruments and local youth performing arts programs.

Softball is all about Community!

Posted on December 23, 2014 by athletics

Eagles Softball is all about giving back to the community of Prescott. Every month we organize some form of community outreach event with our accountability partners, which is the teammate that we are accountable for the rest of the year. Accountable as in we make sure that both of us are always on time and if one of us is not going to make an event we will notify each other. At the beginning of the season, we created a list of events to accomplish throughout the school year. Some months contained two events in order for all of the accountability partners to have an event.

September: Shoelace Fundraiser for Pediatric Cancer

September: Wild West Mud Fest- Boys and Girls Club of Central Arizona

October: “The Spot”

November: Canned food drive

December: Toys For Tots

January: Help the Troops

February: Blanket Drive

March: Habitat for Humanity

April: Relay for life

As you can tell, our outreach events help others from a variety of ages. Some events are donations; however, others are interactive such as the Wild West Mud Run, the shoelace fundraiser for pediatric cancer and the most recent, creating care packages for troops.

What was my event? My accountability partner and I had the month of November. We figured with Thanksgiving being in November that we should have a canned food drive. We collaborated with Fry’s Drug and Food Store and had every teammate donate at least five cans of food. From our team alone we donated at least 100 cans of food. We also asked others if they wanted to donate and we delivered all of the cans to Fry’s.

What was my favorite event? There are two candidates for this. The first one was the Wild West Mud Fest sponsored by Crossfit Prescott, local radio stations, and the rest can be found here http://www.wildwestmudfest.com/read-me-1/. For the mud run, we were all required to ask for two $20 donations for our registration, and all money raised was donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Central Arizona. The reason why I enjoyed it so much is all the obstacles throughout the 5k run and we were helping others by participating in the event. The run started with a wall that we had to climb over and it was a bit difficult to do it alone so we helped each other up, over the wall, and a few feet from the wall was a two-foot pool of water and mud mixture. Most of the obstacles were outdoors, however the obstacles created by Crossfit Prescott were inside Tim’s Toyota Center. At the end of the run there was a mud obstacle with netting a foot or two above the ground and we had to crawl or military crawl (like I did) through the mud. By the end, all of my teammates and I were covered in mud from head to toe! After we completed the 5k obstacle course, we stayed until the end of the last wave to cheer people on at designated obstacles. It was a bit exhausting since we were there for five extra hours, but it was worth it since some people thanked us for supporting them through the obstacles.

My second favorite event is the most recent one, which was making care packages and writing holiday cards to the troops. This event was definitely one of my favorites because I know that there are soldiers who are not able to be home with their families for the holidays and anything they receive will make their day a little better. My teammates or the coordinators of the event asked to donate items such as ground coffee, cross word puzzles, books, packaged foods, and toiletries for men and women. We also used this website http://booksforsoldiers.com/ to gather books that soldiers requested.

As shown in the picture, we had a large number of donations from all of the players and other students around campus. To make things a little more festive we filled up holiday bags with a few items we donated and holiday candies such as candy canes.

After we boxed everything up, we moved on to the cards. It was wonderful being able to write to the troops for the holidays and I made sure to thank them for everything they do for our country. By the end, we were able to ship 15 packages to the troops!

Our next events will include a blanket drive, Habitat for Humanity, and Relay for Life. So be on the lookout around campus with flyers if you would like to support any event!

FINALS WEEK IS OVER!…or is it?

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Mike

So finals week for most college degrees involve taking a lot of finals, finishing projects, or giving presentations all within a small period of time. However, here at Embry-Riddle if you are majoring in Aeronautical Science the experience can be quite different. As an Aeronautical Science major not only do you take academic classes, but you will also fly to obtain your ratings. Students usually finish their flight courses at the end of a semester, the same time as finals…naturally, right? If the checkride wait is exceptionally long, or weather does not cooperate, the checkride may take longer than expected. So for students who live far away from ERAU it is a balancing act for when to book your ticket home. The negative side of this is if you guess incorrectly you may have to go home prior to finishing your flight course. While this usually does not cause a grade issue, you might have to retrain with your instructor before being put back up for the checkride. It is always your choice when you want to go home after finals are over, however like I said, going home earlier may cost you more in the long run. Therefore, you can see that it is not all cut and dry for finishing a semester as a pilot.

Having done this “balancing act” for three years now I knew I would be close to finishing CFII before going home for Christmas. I booked my ticket home for December 21^st and hoped I would be done by the 21^st. Sure enough I was scheduled for my CFII checkride this past Monday, Dec. 15. The activity began at 0700 with the sun yet to rise. It was cold outside, but luckily my aircraft was in the hanger, This simple change in aircraft location allowed me to stay warm during the pre-flight! Trust me, anything positive helps take away some of the stress of a checkride. Overall it was a busy day to fly because Runway 21L, our main runway, was closed for pavement sealing. I did have to change my plan of action to accommodate the closed runway. However, two hours later I got my answer. As of Monday the 16^th of December, I passed my CFII checkride making me an official CFI and CFII!

Would I have liked to go home last week to be with my friends and family? Absolutely! However, nothing beats the feeling of finishing a flight course right before you leave for vacation!

This may all seem a bit complicated for people unfamiliar with the ERAU checkride process. If you have any questions please let me know! Next year, I begin my journey of starting to flight instruct for Embry Riddle. In the meantime, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Unique Final Exams That Prove My Learning

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Vishra

Gather all of your notes, homework, class work, tests, and quizzes for your classes. Make a pile for each class. You should have papers going back to August. For each class, put the papers in chronological order by the date they were given to you or were completed. THIS IS WHAT STRESS FEELS LIKE DURING FINALS…

But that’s NOT the case with some of the upper level business finals. For instance, all students in Dr. Greenman’s Social Responsibility and Ethics class were given the opportunity to volunteer for the Sky Kids event. Sky Kids provides a very unique opportunity to experience FIRST FLIGHT to children with special needs or disability that are within the age range of approximately six through eighteen years of age. I volunteered as an airplane loader in which I was assigned tasks to safely load an aircraft with the Sky Kids participants and their parents and/or guardian. Not only did Sky Kids gave me an opportunity to practice social responsibility in a professional aviation related environment, but knowing that I helped make the life with a special needs child even more special put a smile on my face.

While in my Airport Management class, taught by the author of The Administration of Public Airports Dr. Sobotta, my final project was in teams of three. My teammates and I were presented with a unique opportunity of conquering a final project, which focused on a common airport topic/specialization in which we chose San Diego International Airport. Our topic was Passenger Processing Technology Management. Essentially, I got an opportunity to interview the Terminal Manger at San Diego Airport and learned about the airport’s use of technology (i.e. mobile boarding passes, automated boarding gates, common use passenger processing systems, etc.) and its role in making the circulation of passengers and aircraft more efficient. Collectively, our team compared all the three airports on the topic of Passenger Processing Technology. I want to be an Airport Manager, so this experience gave me a glimpse of what I can experience as a Terminal Manager.

Professional Consulting final gave me an opportunity to articulate a descriptive image of professional practices. In a small group, my teammates and I analyzed Synergy Airs marketing concepts from a business perspective. We also collected consumer data through primary sources, such as surveys and focus groups. Along with that we prepared recommendations for ways that they can effectively market Synergy Air to their target market. We were treated like experts by Synergy Air and as professional marketing consultants and we strived to improve efficiency and quality for them.

With the right course, I was able to show off exactly what I had learned in my classes this semester. Our professors at Embry-Riddle enable us students to gain practical knowledge while taking the course rather than throwing us under the bus without any prior experience in the real world. These unique final exam alternatives will benefit me and my fellow classmates long after graduation. It can benefit YOU if you take business courses at Riddle too.

Granite Basin MTB VLog

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Colton

Well here’s something new I’m trying… A sort of Video-blog kinda mesh, where the video is the main focus of the blog post and this text is just an accompaniment. If y’all enjoy this format, I’m sure you’ll see more in the future.

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At last, finals were done. And what better way to celebrate than hop on my less-than prepared bike and throw myself down a mountainside with my good friend Ben. I’ll let the video do most of the talking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDMCMU89ZP8

This is my first “VLog”, and other than noticing that I move my hands alot when I talk to the camera (I’m used to being BEHIND the camera), I really enjoyed the process and hope you enjoy the result as much as I do. Leave me some feedback on what you’d like to see next/what I can improve upon!

Winter Break is Here!

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Cherie

Thursday of this week is the last day of finals and then the semester is officially over!! For those of us who are going home over the three weeks I have some tips on how to get a head start on the next semester and how to fight the winter boredom. For others, like many of our international students, the dorms will be “home” for Christmas. It is common for some students to stay although some buildings, like the dining hall will be closed, the campus will be a nice quiet place to relax or prepare for next semester.

For students who are headed home, enjoy those first few days but, when the boredom sets in balance your preparation for next semester with fun. For example, find those books you need online so you can have them early in the semester rather than two weeks in after the first homework is assigned. The campus bookstore website has all the books listed for each course, all you have to do is enter the course number and section to find what you need. When you are done searching the web for books then go have fun in town, shop around, see old friends, check out the awesome Christmas lights, etc.

Another good way to prepare for the next semester is to arrange your schedule early so you know how it will flow throughout the week. This makes it easier to schedule study times in between work, classes, and extracurricular. Also, if you can, read up on some of the courses you will be taking or get in touch with professors so you can start asking questions.

For our Air Force ROTC second semester Sophomores, its time to start studying your manuals!! The second semester of Sophomore year is a critical time for cadets as it is their semester to prepare for Field Training and go through selection boards for Field Training. Field Training is probably the most important event for cadets as it determines if they can continue in the ROTC program to become Air Force Officers upon graduation. Hopefully, some of our readers will be competing for Field Training in the future!

So, I hope you have a wonderful winter break! Have fun but, remember to prepare for the upcoming semester as each semester puts you one step closer to an awesome career in whatever it is that you choose to pursue.

If you are a prospective freshman please ask any questions you have below and I will get right back to you 🙂 I will even write answers to your questions in blogs if you like!!

Prescott- Arizona’s Christmas City

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Colton

Often regarded by many as “Arizona’s Christmas City”, Prescott sure does put on the holiday cheer around Christmas time every year.

December 6th started out as a pretty normal day for me. Got to sleep in until 10:30 a.m., with nothing on the agenda until my first final (physics) at 2:45 p.m. After a late breakfast/early lunch, I headed down to the post office. To my great joy, my new camera had finally been shipped to the school (my old camera’s fate involved a sketchy tripod, a cliff, and fortunate warranty service). After eagerly opening my Sony a6000, I asked my suitemate/best friend if he wanted to go downtown and play with my new camera. All seemed normal as we pulled out of the Embry-Riddle campus and headed down Willow Creek Rd. However, as we neared downtown the traffic began to be unusually thick for Prescott.

We knew something was up when we saw buses unloading at Chipotle. After driving through the shopping complex unsuccessfully searching for a parking spot, we opted to leave my truck at a nearby park. We began to realize that something big was going on as we spotted a high-school band warming up. It quickly hit us that we had arrived just in time to see the beginning of the annual Prescott Christmas Parade. And it seemed as if half of Arizona had come to enjoy the show as well.

The entirety of the Courthouse Square was covered with thousands of kids and adults alike lining the streets, eager to catch a glimpse of the grand parade.

And grand the parade was. Ranging from toddlers in too-large of cowboy outfits, to a dozen greyhounds tugging at their leashes, the parade offered a huge variety of entertainment and Christmas spirit.

One of my favorite parts of the parade was the section of Classic VW’s

And then there’s the ‘cute’ section of the parade

After watching about an hour of the parade, I hurried back to the school to take my physics final (I think it went well!).

That night, I travelled back downtown to see the city courthouse lit up with Christmas lights for the first time in 2014. This event was just as busy with people as the parade, only this time everyone tried to fit into the courthouse square. Saying we were packed like sardines was an understatement, but luckily I had my extra tall tripod and was able to get some good shots of the beautiful building.

Waiting for lighting…

And the Courthouse/surrounding 163 trees lit up in all their glory

Hired! The Newest ERAU Flight Instructor

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Mike

Hey everyone! We are really getting close to the end of the semester here, and getting excited for Christmas Break!

Being a student employee for Embry-Riddle has opened up doors by increasing the people I interact with and of course providing some money too. I have been working in the Admissions office since freshman year, and with this amazing job I have given tours to prospective students, and even traveled the around the country promoting ERAU, including Oshkosh 2014.

However, now that the end of my flight training and BS in Aeronautical Science degree is approaching I am looking ahead. For years now I have worked through the flight training program with the end goal of eventually becoming a flight instructor. Earlier last month I applied to become a Flight Instructor for Embry Riddle. After submitting the application, I was offered an interview for the position. At first I was excited but also nervous for the upcoming interview. I prepared in every way I knew how, getting my suit ready, reviewing any last CFI or CFII knowledge that I was unsure about, and of course the lesson plan. For a CFI interview, not only do you have to answer standard HR questions and technical flight questions, but you also have to present a lesson plan like you would to a student. This was the one part of the interview I was uneasy about; however with enough practice I nailed it.

I am happy to report that as of Monday, I have been offered a position as a flight instructor! My new hire date is scheduled for January 5^th upon successful completion of my CFII check ride (expect a blog about that next week!). Many updates to come!

The first picture you see is me as a freshman, right after my first Solo flight in October of 2011. The following two are from the multi engine cross-country flight that I did to Salt Lake City, Utah (KSLC). You can also find great images and videos on our Flight Department facebook page. As a matter of fact I recommend you “like” the page so you can keep up on the cool things you’ll do as a flight student.

I cannot convey enough how awesome all of these flight experiences have been thus far. Here’s to clear skies!

Your instructor will take a picture upon the successful completion of your first solo flight!

Making progress in my training. This picture was taken last summer during my Multi-Engine Cross Country to SLC!

Sunset over Utah/Arizona Border!

Finals Next Week, Study Help is Everywhere

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Cherie

Its amazing how fast this semester has gone by and for some of you the first set of college finals is looming in the not so far away future. However, for the vast majority of us here at Embry-Riddle Prescott, we know the drill from our past years of experience. That does not make it any easier though! Finals are always a nerve racking time to prove what you know and potentially boost your grades or keep them at a solid A. Whatever the case may be in regards to your grades do not forget to use your on campus resources for help!

Professors are more than happy to help you study for those finals and if they are not around then schedule an appointment with a tutor. The tutors are hired by the campus to help you so you do not need to pay them at all! They are a great resource however, starting on 4 Dec you may only meet a tutor by appointment so keep that in mind. Regular “Walk in” hours will resume again next semester. For our readers who do not know what “walk in” hours are, it is a time where a tutor will be in a specific location waiting for a student to walk in and ask for help. Pretty simple right? Well, it gets even better than that! All tutors where blue and gold lanyards with their name, so they are all very easy to find.

Additionally, tutor information is available on the control tower which is run through our student portal so you can log in today and check out the tutors available for the courses you need help in. If you want more information then contact Ms. Katie Green, the head of the tutor program. She hires all the tutors who are ready to help you!! You can find her information in the campus directory that current students have access to under people search.

Flyer for Finals Breakfast And of course you need to eat well and de-stress during finals. The Finals Breakfast event is the perfect way to fill up on pancakes and have some fun too!

Hope this helps, good luck studying for those finals everyone!! Also, if you want some more info on our Academic Support check out their website!

Take Advantage of Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Cherie

Black Friday and Cyber Monday is the prefect time of year to get those big purchases out of the way at a lower price, and for college kids or our soon to be college kids, this is an excellent time of year to update your technology. Search well because some stores may even have additional discounts for students.

In need of a new laptop? Best Buy always has some great ones available at just the right price!! If your parents will be gifting you these items, be sure to send them to our FAQ for parents that details what you should bring to ERAU including technology. For current students, check out half price books online for those textbooks you need next semester. You might find some awesome discounts!

Amazon is also a great resource for finding discounts on technology or textbooks, so keep that in mind as well. For college students Amazon Prime is free during your first year so and you can get great deals with free shipping when you sign up! As a student you will find this service invaluable.

Happy Holidays and happy shopping everyone, just remember to stay safe out there, no discount is worth your safety. Thanks for reading everyone!