Computer Aided Design

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Cherie

Hey there, so I just started a class called Computer Aided Design where we use a program called CATIA to create working models to defined specifications. For example, have you ever seen a structural drawing of an object with its various components labeled by their dimensions and units? Well this is CATIA. Most engineering majors at Riddle require students to be proficient in CATIA as it is a medium that aids in the communication of ideas between you and the teacher, researcher, or fellow student.

U Joint in CATIA

The program is essential to communication because you can define the exact elements of your idea and provide those who are looking at your work with an accurate 3D representation of your concept. The class is also organized so that it models the work you would be doing in the engineering industry. So from day one you are not only learning how to formulate parts and models in CATIA but, you are also working toward your final project. My class’s final project is to design a Mars Rover that is similar to NASA’s rover Curiosity. We just finished the second week of class and we already have the necessary research, preliminary designs, and a portion of the knowledge to complete the project!

I am very excited to be taking this course and working on a project that is related to my major and my career. Embry Riddle Prescott courses are designed to provide the student with the experience that they need to succeed and CAD is a perfect example of such a course. I hope that you will get to take this class too so you can get the growing experience that is only available at Embry Riddle!!

To The Lifeboats!!!

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Cherie

Embry-Riddle’s Prescott campus is in the middle of monsoon season, and its hitting us harder than ever. For those of us who like rain its no big deal, actually its pretty entertaining.

Dr. Ayers

On Friday August 30th, a downpour that lasted for a good half hour or more actually flooded its way through campus. Pelting students with hail, turning sidewalks into inch deep rivers, and soaking the general populace. The most amusing part of the day (at least for students) was the flooding of classrooms where anonymous teachers continued to teach despite the tide waters rushing around their ankles. That did not last long however, in the interest of safety some classes were cut short and classrooms began to be dried out.

There is nothing to fear for those who reside on this campus, the areas through campus where flooding is most likely to occur are specifically designed with large drainage ditches so that waters can easily make their way through campus without harm to students. Furthermore, the Facilities Management Staff is a highly effective and knowledgeable team and they have responded quite well to the demands of the monsoon floods.This is probably the worst of the monsoon rains to come to campus and they won’t last long, so again the campus is only in danger of being greatly amused by the puddles.

New Student Orientation

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Cherie

Summer is over and it is time to begin again!! Today, Thursday August 22, all of the new students for Embry Riddle’s Prescott campus are arriving!!!! (ROTC students actually arrived on Monday, but the rest come in today). We are all very excited to see you here on campus and I’m here to offer a few tips on what you should do first when you get to campus.

1. Go to the welcome center, building 41. Here you can pick up your welcome packet and your orientation schedule. There is a map and a checklist inside the schedule booklet so that the new student will know what to do next and where to go to do it 🙂

2. The next thing you should do is go to the housing office called HAAS in building 73, you can pick up your room key here and start moving into your new room!!

3. Pick up your mailbox key from the mail room in building 11, you can actually receive mail here on campus!!

4. Register your vehicle in building 14, that’s where the Safety department is located. All you need is a valid ID and all the documents that you have on your vehicle.

5. Pick up your Eagle card in building 13, this is the Eagle card office. The Eagle card is really important as it is your meal card, your ID card, and your debit card. It allows you access to certain areas on campus as well, if you have the proper authorization.

6. Most of all have an awesome day, we are so happy to be welcoming you to our campus and we hope that you have a great first year here on our gorgeous campus!!!

-Note you can complete that list in any order

Air Force Zero Week

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Cherie

Are all you Embry Riddle Air Force Cadets ready? Zero Week starts tomorrow!!!! We have been preparing specially for you and soon you will join Det 028, The Best in the West!

Some advice for the week, just don’t freak out and where ever you go be on time and follow your schedule. Zero week is a time where you learn what it means to be a cadet, what your commitments are, and also if the Air Force is really the career that you want to pursue. It seems like a lot of pressure but, don’t worry you will do fine. Throughout your career in Air Force ROTC you will have many friends aka “Wingmen” you may even make a few during your zero week so be open to meeting other cadets.

We want this time to be educational and fun for you, so if you have any questions and concerns please ask, just follow the protocol for doing so. There will be a lot of regulations that you must learn; however, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Put yourself out there and learn from errors how things are supposed to be done. It’s no big deal, just go for it and once you know the proper way to pose a question then use that method.

Become one of us, a future Officer in the United States Air Force

The Air Force is a structured environment, as is AFROTC so learn as much as you can and like I said before, follow the protocol. Actions and activities that have a protocol are asking questions, PT, marching, reporting in/out, uniform wear, and appearance. As a cadet you must follow all regulations/protocols, there are no exceptions. Learn this early on and you will be a great cadet. Good luck to everyone as you enter Zero Week, have fun, make friends, and learn how to become an officer in the United States Air Force!!!

Tobacco Free Campus Starts in Prescott

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Cherie

Effective as of August 1st, all of Embry Riddle’s campus’s will be going completely tobacco free. This is a major change for some students however, there will be aid available to those who smoke or would like to quit using tobacco products as we all adjust to the new policy. We will be joining over 600 other college campus’s in the nation that have made the decision to go tobacco free in order to ensure the health of their students, faculty, and staff.

Many students agree that this policy is the right thing to do, a sophomore student Juan G. states that “The tobacco policy indeed should improve the environment of the campus into a more social place by allowing students who do not smoke to interact with those who do/used to smoke. As students who smoke and students who do not often remain in separate groups, this policy will break down that barrier.”

It is everyone’s hope that the transition for all students will go positively, if you are a tobacco user and you would like additional help in abstaining from the use of tobacco products there will be help available to you. The official news release sites sources for help which are also located here. For tobacco cessation in Prescott click here, for Daytona Beach click here. Thank you, for reading and complying with our new policy.

Fitness

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Cherie

Fitness is a huge part of being a cadet at Embry Riddle and also at any ROTC detachment or service Academy. If you plan to attend our University and be a part of either our Air Force or Army ROTC Detachments then you must be above the rest physically.

Embry Riddle Prescott is actually a pretty unique school that can really help you with your fitness. We have several fields, running trails, a track, gyms, a cardio room, and so much more to help our students stay in shape while they attend school here. The facilities are open to all students and you may use them at your leisure. The big difference about this University as compared to others is that we are actually about a mile above sea level in elevation here.

As a result of the elevation less oxygen is available so when you work out you are strengthening your lungs immensely. When you go to lower elevations you will then have an edge on other athletes because your lungs are so much stronger!!

This is also helpful if you are in ROTC because there are numerous facilities for you to work out in and build yourself up so you can perform well in PT. Adjusting to the elevation is a huge part of how you perform at this University in ROTC so the sooner you adjust the better, but be careful you can get sick or feel weak when working out here at first. It is normal just don’t overdue it and you will be fine. A slow adjustment is better because you work up to it over time and you don’t get sick from it 😀

Whatever you like to do to stay in shape we can accommodate you here!!

Online Entertainment

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Cherie

So recently I got a Netflix account with a friend of mine (in order to split the cost 😀 ) and it is AWESOME!!! Definitely a great source of entertainment for down time or just when you need to relax. If you don’t want to bring a TV to your dorm you can also catch alot of your shows on Netflix, which is also nice because then you can watch them whenever you want!!!

I am totally impressed with the selection that they offer and as long as you know how to manage your time responsibly I’d say that it is a pretty nice resource for college students, a resource of relaxation, entertainment, and fun that is 😉

My Favorite show!!

It is also nice to be able to share an account with a close friend or roommate so you know that the money you are investing is going to use and also it reduces the cost (even though Netflix is already pretty cheap).

If you enjoy watching your stuff on a TV then by all means bring one, the University actually has free cable hookups for students to use so you can catch all the cool shows and movies that are aired. Free Wifi is also supplied to students so if you watch shows through Netflix or another site you don’t have to worry about additional costs.

I’m not advertising for anybody, just saying that there are some benefits to some of the sites out there, Netflix is my preferred one but, if you like another stick with it 😀 I’ve heard that Hulu is also a good one but, is more based on TV shows. Some networks like USA on channel 28 actually have websites too where you can watch episodes of your favorite shows, so thats another good option to consider. Whatever you choose for entertainment just enjoy and relax in your down time. Don’t abuse the privilege/luxury school is important too!!!

Study Up

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Cherie

Summer is the perfect time to spend reviewing material from old courses in preparation for the new ones that you will be taking in the Fall semester. To prepare for my next level of Physics I have been reviewing physics 1, this has actually been really helpful to me because I understand a lot more of the basic materials then I did before.The Physics 1 for Dummies book has actually been a great study resource as well, I suggest maybe using a book like this one for review, it is not as concentrated as the text used in the course so it is a little more easy to pick up the concepts.

Another thing that many cadets do over summer is study for the AFOQT, or the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test. This is a test that depending on whether you pass or fail, allows you to continue in the AFROTC program and hopefully commission as an officer in the US Air Force. So as you might have guessed, this is is exactly what I am doing.

I also have a for Dummies book to study for the exam, I honestly prefer the for Dummies books because they have so much good information in them and they are written by people who have actually taken the exams or courses.So the authors really know their stuff and they know how to present it in a light that interests the reader and aids in the development of their knowledge in that field.

I urge you to please spend at least an hour a day reviewing topics that you are not entirely comfortable with. This can really give you the upper hand in your studies as in college all the courses you take have aspects in them that you will continually use throughout your college career and perhaps beyond.

Granite Mountain Fire Fighters

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Cherie

As some of you might know we had a tragedy strike the town of Prescott very recently with the passing of 19 of our own firefighters during the battle against the Yarnell Wildfire. Yesterday the men were returned home to their families with honor as a funeral procession brought them through the center of Prescott. Some of the images that were captured can be found here as well as a news report on the proceedings.

A memorial will be held at Tim’s Toyata Center today, July 9, 2013, with Vice President Joe Biden in attendance. The memorial is not open to the public however, news coverage will be shown of the event. Please be respectful of the families and friends of those who have fallen by allowing the memorial to be a private event. You may watch the coverage from home but, please refrain from trying to enter the memorial service.

For more information on this topic please keep checking the local news and remember to continue showing the firefighters and their families the honor and respect that they deserve. Thank you!

July 4th

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Cherie

Hope everyone had an awesome fourth of July, there are so many cool traditions that many families have on the fourth but, the best of all that America shares is fireworks!!

Here in Prescott the fireworks are done out of Pioneer Park which is just within walking distance of the campus. There is also a fair that is held in the park all day until the fireworks at 9pm. I didn’t have the opportunity to go check out the fair but, I have heard that it is sooooo cool, its definitely something to go and see if you are lucky enough to be here for the fourth. The fireworks are gorgeous and you can actually see them from the lower fields on campus. A good amount of people from the community come on to campus and watch them with us.

A fun tradition that my family and I have always done is a barbeque in the afternoon before the fireworks start. The Fry’s down the street from campus has some amazing steaks that you can cook up for the holidays or for just whenever!! Most of the dorms on our campus have bbq set ups nearby so you can always use them at your convenience 😀

Hopefully sometime you can come join us here in Prescott for the holidays and enjoy some of our traditions as well as your own!!