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Name: Mack Means
Along with taking finals this past week, I was also packing up and getting ready to head home. I had to do some major cleaning but I got it all done and was officially checked out of my dorm. It was a little sad to leave my room that I considered home since August. I left Daytona Beach early Tuesday and stopped in Nashville to spend the evening with my friend Brent and my cousin Susanna (in the picture in front of her dorm at Vanderbilt) who go to school there. Wednesday I made it back to Missouri where my family was excited to see me. The drive was long, but I truly love living in Florida and going to school at ERAU which makes the long travels worth it.
This past weekend my friends and I (and my car) made it to the beach one last time before we headed home for the summer. The weather in Daytona has been absolutely perfect (80’s and sunny). We spent all day under the warm sun and boogie boarding (because we aren’t skilled enough for real surfboards). I never get tired of the beach, and I already miss it being back in the land-locked state of Missouri. It has been in the 60’s and rainy since I have been home and I already miss Florida’s weather. 
Last weekend was the Task Force One incentive dinner. We all met up and
went to Sapporo Japanese Steakhouse. The food was very good, and we had
a lot of fun spending time together off campus. I have met some really
good friends through TFO this year and I am very glad I was part of the
organization. I would recommend any first-year student to become a part
of TFO as it is a great way to get involved on campus and meet a bunch
of new friends. This week, TFO is having an unofficial meeting where we
all bring food and hang out one last time as TFO-ers. I am looking
forward to these last few hours our organization will spend as one.
On Easter, my BA201 group (MoKurity) decided to hang out and spend the
holiday having fun. We went to lunch and spent time at the beach. I
think it is so great that a random group of kids from BA201 have become
such good friends. Even though our group project was completed a week
ago, we still meet up and goof around. We genuinely have a great time
when we are together, and I am sure we will continue hanging out even
past this semester.
Delta Upsilon is continuing to grow and become more and more active.
This past week we took part in a canned food drive put on by Theta Phi
Alpha, one of the sororities on campus. DU brought in over 100 pounds
of food and we placed second! Also on Saturday, we took part in the
annual Oozeball (mud volleyball) tournament. Those of you who came to
the Spring Preview probably noticed a bunch of crazy people rolling in
the mud and water. I had so much fun playing, especially with my DU
brothers. We won two games and lost two games, but we all got muddy and
that's what matters. 
On Friday some of my friends and I went to support the AcaFellas at
their end-of-year concert. The AcaFellas are the male a capella singing
group here at Embry-Riddle. They do a very good job, and it seems like
they have a lot of fun. Check out my video of one of their songs
(Apologize) at: 
It's finally spring, and I couldn't be any more excited. There is so much going on around campus that I can't even keep up. I will certainly do my best to tell you about everything! First of all, Task Force One (TFO) is finishing up our duties and trying to get set up for the new students next fall. On March 27, we took part in Embry-Riddle's Relay for Life. We set up camp on the ERAU track and stayed up walking all night. Even when it began pouring down rain we didn't quit, and the rain made it even more fun. The ceremony was very meaningful, and the activities all night were tons of fun. ERAU raised tens of thousands of dollars for cancer research, and the event was a huge success. 
Delta Upsilon is keeping me very busy as well. We have colony meetings every Monday where we have been getting a lot of things done to establish DU at Embry-Riddle. As an officer, I also have meetings on Sunday to get ready for the next meeting and upcoming week. Recently, Delta Upsilon took part in Collegiate Kindness Day, where we painted and worked all day. Although it was an early weekend morning, we had a good time and got a lot done to help the ArtHaus improve their facilities. We are also planning on participating in more activities this semester including Oozeball (mud volleyball), which I am very excited for. This past weekend, Touch-N-Go Productions put on their big spring concert. 
This year they brought the band Sugarcult to ERAU, and they were very good! You may know Sugarcult from their songs Memory or Bouncing off the Walls. They were pretty good live, and the lead singer was a really funny guy. TNG also brought two opening bands, Luna Halo and The Sleeping. Both did a good job, however Luna Halo was more my type of genre. The crowd got a little crazy and crowd surfing was common, but it was a fun experience!
BA201- We are about to present our semester-long project this week in Business. We have been working hard to perfect our product and set up our mock companies. My company's name is MoKurity, and we specialize in home security. The ten of us in the group have a lot of fun and have become good friends over the semester. This past Friday we painted the spirit rock in MoKurity colors and had a great time goofing off together.
On Wednesday March 11, Alpha Xi Delta (one of the sororities at ERAU) held their annual Xi-Man competition. The whole point of the event is to raise money for their philanthropy, and the competition proved very successful once again. Each fraternity on campus can nominate one of their brothers to compete in the pageant-like event, and the winner is crowned the sweetheart of Alpha Xi Delta. The Delta Upsilon representative was one of my very good friends Mike. He had to take part in a swimsuit competition, Q & A session, boy-band performance (note the picture of the 4 DU's in ponchos), and many other things. It was HILARIOUS to watch the guys get on stage and thoroughly embarrass themselves. Mike did an AMAZING job, and he placed fourth overall. Xi Man is a must-see event for anyone at Embry-Riddle, and I am already looking forward to the competition in 2010!
Just as everyone else, I was very excited for Spring Break to arrive. Nearly all of my friends left for the week, and I followed suit. My mother, sister, sister's fiancé, and my best friend flew down to Florida and we spent a week on the beach near Tampa/St. Petersburg. The weather was absolutely perfect all week, and my skin picked up a nice tan. The first half of the week was very relaxing as we sat on the beach, ate good meals, and enjoyed each other's company. However on Thursday, things got a little crazy. While we were all sitting in the living room, my best friend collapsed and had a seizure. I had never experienced anything like that before, and to say the least, I was horrified. The next few days were spent at the hospital, where my friend was unfortunately diagnosed with a form of epilepsy. The event was easily one of the worst things I have had to watch, and I feel so bad for her. Although I love spending time with her, I was relieved to send her back to her very concerned family in Missouri.
On Wednesday February 26, Delta Upsilon (DU) had our official colonization ceremony. It is very exciting to be a founding father of such a great organization. When I came to Embry-Riddle, I was almost certain I was not interested in Greek Life. However, the principles and ideals of DU matched with mine. I am very passionate about the four founding principles; the advancement of justice, the promotion of friendship, the diffusion of liberal culture, and the development of character. I am also very excited about DU's nationwide partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of America. I hope to do a lot of work promoting our values and volunteering in the community.
Last week was Greek Week on campus. Greek Week is a friendly competition between all of the fraternities and sororities at Embry-Riddle. Some of the events included a human pyramid, tug-o-war contest, cardboard boat race, and a chariot race. Although it was our first year, Delta Upsilon did very well overall. We even got FIRST PLACE in the cardboard boat race! I met a lot of the other Greeks this week and got to have fun with my DU brothers.
Classes have been extremely demanding as we approach our break. I took tests in PS142, MA112, and WX201, and did very well. I got A's on the two tests I have gotten back, and I am confident I did well on the math exam too. Along with these tests, I have been continuing work on my large projects in COM221 and BA201. I am still really enjoying my classes and schedule this semester, and my professors are a lot of fun. Although sometimes it is tough to wake up, I am always thankful to be done with classes in the morning!
Amongst
all of the tests and Greek week activities, my grandparents made a visit. I
got to eat two meals with them and I showed them around campus. They were very
impressed with the facilities and enjoyed their visit. I think they were a
little overwhelmed with Bike Week, but we had fun anyway. I will be spending
more time with family in the coming weeks, as my mom and sister are heading
down to Tampa where I will join them for Spring Break. I am really looking
forward to the break and spending time with family and friends.
Hello everyone! I hope February finds you all well. Although I must
say this all the time, my semester has been getting busier and busier.
About two weeks ago, I was presented an opportunity to become a founding
father for Delta Upsilon at Embry-Riddle. Delta Upsilon (DU) seemed to
match my values and priorities, and I had to take advantage of this
unique experience. The last two weeks have been packed with DU
information sessions, recruitment events, and even a retreat. I have
already made many new friends and learned a lot about what it means to
be DU. This week, a slew of activities are planned, including the
official colonization ceremony. I am excited to be a founding member of
something I know will be great at ERAU.
Task Force One has been discussing and planning many things in our
meetings. On Tuesday, we voted on an incentive activity as a reward for
our hard work throughout the academic year. We have decided to go to a
Japanese Steakhouse, followed by bowling, which I am really looking
forward to. Also we have registered for the Relay for Life in late
March. These activities will be here before I know it.
January is over, even though it feels like it just began. My first round of midterms is about over, as I have already taken big tests the past week in PS142, MA112, and WX201. I have gotten the scores back for two of the three, and I am pleased with the outcome. This week I will be continuing the round of tests as I take my first BA201 exam. I also received my semester-long assignment in COM221 last week: a 15-20 page research paper. Luckily, we have a group of 4 people who work together to complete the assignment, so I will not be doing it alone. I am still enjoying my classes and professors this semester, which is a good sign.
Last weekend was the Task Force One Super Bowl party in the Student Center. We teamed up with ERRSA to offer free food and drinks for anyone on campus, and Touch-N-Go provided their projector to view the game on the big screen. The event turned out to be extremely successful. We went through 40 pizzas in less than 20 minutes and had to order 38 more which arrived at halftime. The food was good, the crowd was large, and the game was very exciting. Although the Cardinals lost, I still had a lot of fun with my fellow TFO-ers at this event.
On Saturday I drove a friend to the Orlando Airport, and since I was already there, I made a day out of it. Two friends and I hung around the airport, and got a few good pictures of the traffic coming in and out of MCO. After we left the airport, we headed to the Cheesecake Factory (my favorite restaurant) where we had an amazing lunch. The Mall at Millennia was our last stop before we headed back to Daytona. It was a great to spend a day away from campus and out of Daytona, and Orlando is the perfect place to do it.
These next few weeks will be quite hectic, but I am looking forward to having a lot of fun. The crowds are starting to pick up as we are only one week away from the Daytona 500. Also, I have expressed some interest in the new fraternity being brought to ERAU (Delta Upsilon), and I am excited to take the next step towards learning more about the organization and being involved with Greek Life. Among all of this craziness, I will also be taking a few days to fly back to Missouri, as I have a few duties at home. Remember if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Thanks for reading.
With the better weather came more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.
My friends and I made it to the beach to play at our favorite volleyball
court again. Every time I go I can't help but take a ton of pictures,
as it is the most beautiful location to play one of my favorite sports.
I have also found time to play a lot of tennis recently. Between the
warmer weather and the Australian Open on television, I have found
myself in the tennis mood. Along with volleyball and tennis, my friends
and I also found time to go bowling. We took the drive to Ormond Beach,
and had a night of fun. Not only did we enjoy the atmosphere, but I set
a personal best score of 174! 
Throughout the past two weeks I have been applying for a vacancy on the
Student Representative Board of the SGA. I turned in my application and
received a call informing me I had earned an interview. Although it was
only the first step, I was very excited about earning a chance to
promote myself for the position. Yesterday, I completed the interview
and felt very positive. Sure enough, last night I got a phone call
saying I was one of three finalists. The next step comes Tuesday, when
I plead my case to the current SRB and they will decide who to pick. I
would really love to get the position, but if it doesn't pan out, I am
honored to make it this far. 
To
end my journal for the week, I wanted to remember to share my first experience
at the Daytona Speedway. This Saturday-Sunday was the Rolex 24-hour race here
in Daytona Beach. It was so fun to see the die-hard race fans with their amazing
traveling RV set-ups. Not only were there bon-fires and flat screen TVs outside
the RV's, but even couches on the roofs. Aside from the crazy (and sometimes
quite intoxicated) fans, the race was exciting, and Riddle students got a special
price of $15. I included a few pictures, but my pictures can't even begin to
tell the whole story. Please enjoy the pictures and have a great end to the
month of January. PLEASE send me an email ( meansm@erau.edu ) or even
shoot me a message on facebook. I would love to hear from you and
answer any questions. Thanks for reading!
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a good holiday season. Mine was particularly busy, but I had a lot of fun. Right when I got back to Missouri, my friend and I decided to go to a St. Louis Blues versus Calgary hockey game. Although my beloved Blues lost, there was a lot of fighting and the two teams combined to score 9 goals. This excitement and intensity made the experience a lot of fun. A few days later I was lucky enough to also go to a Mizzou Tigers basketball game. Throughout the rest of my days in Missouri I was working, hanging out with friends, or spending time in St. Louis or Kansas City.
I already had a lot to do this first weekend back. I took part in Volleyball during the dorm Olympics. My team lost in the first round but it was very close. I also got to attend another ERAU hockey game and basketball game. The hockey team BEAT the Florida Gators 6-5!!! It was an awesome game. I also made it out to the beach and swam in the chilly Atlantic. I have a few reading assignments to do to finish my weekend, but that is the extent of my homework. Thanks for reading, and let me know if I can help you with anything.
Holy Cow! The semester is already over. It seems like I just arrived on campus, yet I have already earned 26 credits. My involvement on campus, my new friends, and my interesting courses have helped make these four months the best of my life. When I decided on Embry-Riddle at the end of last year, I was very concerned about the distance from home. However, since I arrived in August, the thought has hardly crossed my mind. I am always busy, but I have truly enjoyed every minute. 
The weather the last few days in Daytona was just amazing. The day I left, it was in the mid-eighties and sunny. One day I got to go down to the beach and spend some time relaxing. Being from the Midwest, I can’t get over how beautiful the weather can be in December. When it’s that nice I walk out the door and can’t help but smile. The great weather definitely symbolized the end of a great semester. I just hope when I come back in January it will be just as nice, so it can thaw me out from the cold winter back home!
The Friday before Thanksgiving, Task Force One (TFO) held a free BBQ for anyone on campus. We served hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and drinks to anyone who stopped by. I was in charge of one of the grills and cooked tons of food! We had a great turnout and had a lot of fun in the process. Besides the excellent food, there were also games and even an inflatable jousting arena. Each semester, campus organizations are required to hold an event that benefits the campus, and this was our event. Overall, it was very successful and all who attended had fun.
I had a great Thanksgiving back in Missouri last week. It was nice to see my friends and family, and catch up on life back at home. My sisters and I have been more like friends than siblings, so it was a lot of fun hanging out with those two again. I got to eat two delicious home-cooked meals, and I also got to eat at my favorite restaurants in my hometown. I spent a lot of time talking to friends about their college experiences, and I am pleased to officially say I think I have made the right choice. Riddle fits my personality well. At the end of the week it snowed in Missouri, which was fun to see. On Sunday I had some major difficulties with my flights, but I made it to Daytona and I’m enjoying the last 2 weeks of my semester. 
Hello everyone! I hope November is treating everyone well. November
has been fun around ERAU. Last weekend was homecoming on campus, and
there was so much going on. On Friday Touch-N-Go held the tailgate
party before the basketball game. Luke Bryan held a concert right on
our parking lot and food from Bubba Gump's and WingZone was served.
After the tailgate, we went inside and watched our Eagles beat up on the
opponent. Saturday, we had a comedy show on campus featuring Greg
Giraldo. It was tons of fun and I laughed A LOT. Also that weekend, I
attended the parade and the air show put on by the Student Activities
office on campus. By the end of the weekend I was worn out, and I
thoroughly enjoyed the extra day off on Tuesday (Veterans Days)!
Earlier this week Wood Hall had some fire alarm issues. The alarms and
sprinkler systems went off on the fifth floor and water went everywhere.
About 8 hours later, the same thing happened on the third floor, and
water came creeping into my room on the second floor. Currently my
carpet is still damp and my room smells a bit moldy, but maintenance is
promising to fix all the problems. Although this incident was difficult
to deal with, we all were laughing and got a break from our homework and
studying. No one on my floor lost anything to the water, so we could
all relax and try to embrace the situation. Let's just hope it doesn't
happen again...
I got to go to Titusville this weekend and experience a space shuttle
launch first-hand. I have always wanted to do this, and I had a good
time. It only took about an hour to get there, and the weather was
perfect for the launch. We found a place on one of the causeways where
we had a great view of the launch pad. At exactly 7:55, the shuttle
took off and lit up the whole town. I was so relieved to see everything
go off without a problem. I got to shoot a video of the launch, and I
took a few pictures. None of them turned out perfect, but I'll try to
get the video posted for you. The whole experience was unique and I
think everyone should experience this at least once in their lifetime.
My friends and I went to the beach yesterday and got to play volleyball
on my favorite court. We enjoyed what may be our last day on the beach
for a while, as it is only supposed to be in the sixties this week. I
know that may not sound bad to some Northerners, but that's rough for
us. As usual when we were playing volleyball, we found some other
Riddle kids and they joined our game. There are so many people to meet
and I have found some really good friends here. It is so much fun to be
able to hang out with a group of friends who come from all walks of
life. My close friends are from Georgia, Wisconsin, Iowa, Germany, New
Jersey, New York, and everywhere in between. That is one great thing
about ERAU: you meet people from everywhere. Having such a variety of
friends has opened my mind and I enjoy being around all of them.
These next two weeks are going to be a blast for me. I get to go back
to MISSOURI thanksgiving week!!! I never thought I would be so excited
to say that. It is funny how you react when you move away from home. I
really miss my friends and my mom's cooking, but I may very well miss my
dog the most and I can't wait to cuddle with my 150 lb Bloodhound again!
I am going to be so cold, but I am sure I will enjoy my 5 days back
home. When I return to campus, I have 4 days of class and then finals.
This semester is almost over and it seems like it just began. Wow! I
hope everyone has a GREAT Thanksgiving! I know I will! 
It is already November. That is unbelievable. Classes have been very demanding recently, as projects, homework, and tests are piling up. Last week I took a test over Microsoft Excel in IT109 and a test over the Depression (1929)-Martin Luther King (1960’s) in SS120. I studied hard and pulled an A on BOTH tests. I was very excited that my hard work paid off, and these scores will certainly help my overall grades! However, those small victories are short-lived as I have 2 major papers and 2 major tests this coming week. I am studying and writing my butt off, but hopefully I will be able to get it all done and do well.
On Sunday, October 26, I was lucky enough to attend the NAS Jacksonville Air Show. The event and parking were free, and the displays were amazing. I got to see the Blue Angels for the first time, and they lived up to every expectation! Some of their maneuvers are simply jaw-dropping. There were also many other military planes, along with a bunch of aerobatic planes and pilots. They even did an air combat simulation with explosions and all! Because I love commercial aviation, I really liked some of the static displays on hand, including a Craig Air BE1900 and a FedEx Boeing 727. It was in the seventies and sunny, with hardly any wind: the most beautiful day anyone could ask for. It is so nice being close to Jacksonville, Orlando, and the Space Center, because there is ALWAYS something going on, and Riddle students can enjoy the best of each city. 
Recently I have shown my school spirit at many Riddle sporting events. The club hockey team has played home games against FAU and Georgia Tech that I have attended. These games are one of the greatest things to do on the weekend, and hundreds of students go to each one. The crowd is obnoxious, and some of our chants are hilarious! I truly believe the other team must get annoyed, because our fans are ridiculous (which makes it a lot of fun). Yesterday I also went to a Volleyball and Soccer game on campus. Both teams played against SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) and won. The volleyball game went to the 5th set and ERAU won by 2 points. It was intense! 
Odd things have been happening around here. First of all, our toilet
has broken two more times, and our bathroom light broke. The
maintenance crew has now been to our bathroom eight times, and that has
to be a record. After bribing them with candy, the maintenance people
finally admitted we needed a whole new toilet. I am keeping my fingers
crossed that the issue will be resolved before November. Also, we had a
tornado warning in Volusia County. Normally when there is a tornado,
people get to shelter. However, a college campus full of pilots, air
traffic controllers, and meteorologists find it important to run outside
and watch it. It was very exciting and reminded me exactly why I love
this campus. The tornado never touched down, so all remained safe and
had fun watching the cloud.
I decided to
go with Andy, and it was quite an experience. It was my first flight on
a small plane, and I quickly learned they are VERY different from
commercial jets. Although there were some crosswinds, my captain did a
great job and it was a lot of fun. I also enjoyed listening to the
communications with the tower, as I have declared a minor in Air Traffic
Control. You learn so much by just sitting in the plane and
experiencing the whole operation, and I will hopefully be doing it
again.
With all this activity, I still find time to play volleyball and tennis.
My intramural volleyball team is unfortunately still winless. However,
last week we lost in the third game by two points. It was SO close and
we continue to improve, so I am still thoroughly enjoying it. Playing
volleyball on the beach is fun too. My friends and I try to make it to
the court on the beach every Saturday afternoon. We have a lot of fun
and the scenery is great (check out the pictures).
Thanks for reading, and let me know if you have any questions!
My mother and sister came to visit this past weekend from Missouri. They visited campus and my dorm room and met a few of my new friends. Although I am not homesick, it was very nice to see some familiar faces again. We had a lot of fun, and they enjoyed their tour I gave them of Daytona Beach. Also, I finally had someone to cheer with me for the Mizzou Tigers football game!
I thought I would give another update on our toilet situation. After writing my last journal, the toilet proceeded to break down the next day. After A LOT of laughs, we sent in our maintenance request and the toilet was fixed the next day. Two days later, and the toilet goes out of service AGAIN. At this point we know the maintenance workers and they know exactly what has happened when they see our room number. Once again it was promptly fixed the next morning. Since then, our toilet has been running for almost 10 days! How great! The positives of this situation: we know exactly how to fill out a maintenance request and we are in close contact with our Resident Assistant.
Although I didn’t mention it, my friends and I went spotting in Orlando a few weeks ago and I thought I would include a few pictures for the airplane lovers (like myself) to enjoy. The weather is still great in Daytona and I am still very happy at Embry-Riddle. Let me know if there are any questions I can answer. 
My roommate is a member of the Embry-Riddle club Rugby team, and today a group of us went to see one of the games. I don’t know much about rugby, but it is a lot of fun to watch. The girls played first against South Florida and then the guys played Florida State. Although both teams lost, they played really hard and it was VERY intense. My roommate hit an FSU player so hard his left contact fell out! I now understand why my roommate comes back from the matches so sore!!! 
Throughout
this first month, I have certainly found many pros and cons about campus. The
thing I love about Riddle is how relaxed it is. Although we do a lot of work,
it is still a great place to chill and hang with friends. Whether you’re reading
by the pool, joining a random volleyball game, or hanging out in one of the
student lounges, it is always nice to kick back for a few minutes and take
a break. The main annoyance I have found thus far is just a personal issue.
The toilet in our room has broken down three times in two weeks and has left
myself and my suite mates without bathroom facilities for more than 90 hours.
However as I always say, there are two ways to look at every situation, and
the broken toilet has brought many laughs and a lot of priceless memories.
(And our next door neighbors have been very gracious about allowing us to use
their facilities!!) 
Living in the dorms on campus is a lot of fun. I am in Wood Hall (the BEST freshman dorm) in the Student Village, and there is always something happening. I have kept myself busy with the Comedy Show (hilarious), a Task Force One Meeting, the Orientation Luau, a few tennis matches, and a countless number of sand volleyball showdowns. When I can’t be found on campus, I am usually down at the beach. I use every minute of every day.
I look forward to continuing my classes and meeting new people. I am sure these next four years will be the best of my life, and I am excited to share my story. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask (meansm@erau.edu). I would love to hear from prospective students, and I am willing to answer ANY questions you need answered.|
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