Dionna O'Daniel
Year: Junior
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Grayville, IL
Campus Activities: SWE, ASME, SCF, intramural sports, and aces dance team
Hobbies: running, dancing, reading, going to concerts, downloading random music, meeting new people, and MATH!!
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but not fast enough! haha. So we have about a month left of school, and I'm super pumped, but yet I want it to slow down. I have about 5 huge projects that will be due at the end of april. So that when May hits, I will basically have about 4 finals and be done with the spring semester. Right now I'm on the Aero Design Team. We're designing a jet propelled plane this year. This is the first year ever for a jet engine plane. This year, the team has bought another engine for next year's team. I know it sounds weird, but designing for a single engine is much harder than for two engines (balancing out the thurst, drag, and lift forces). Also, I'm in Integrated Design III(a class) and we have a project in there. It's an air engine performance test for these little engines that are generated by pressurized air. We are then going to measure the torque and power of the engine with strain gages and a software program called LABView. It's fun b/c we get to build test stands, lay strain gages, and power these little air engines! I also have a gear box project that's due in the last week of April. The class has to design and calculate a gear box. It's not fun right now, but that's just because we're having to calculate all the design considerations for the gears, shafts, bearings, snap rings, grooves, and shoulder diameters. ha! doesn't that sound like fun? Seriously, in a little bit when I get all this figured out, we have to design it on a 3D software program, either SolidWORKS or PROE.
Besides all that crazy academics stuff, Team RAMSES won our ultimate frisbee game. Yes, it's from the movie Nacho Libre. We named our team RAMSES because he's the best! ha! I was super pumped b/c I didn't even think we would have enough people to play, but my friends pulled through! They rounded up some more ppl and we kicked bootay! ;) Also, EWB (Engineers Without Borders) is picking out a project for the fall to do. We will be working on some type of engineering project for a third world country. It's more of a missionary service that we provide to the less fortunate. I think this year, EWB students are going to travel to Colombia, South America. We're going to go check out a little village near Bogota and work on a water heating system for them. They have to take their showers either with cold water that is in a bucket with holes punched on the bottom or they let the water warm up during the morning and afternoon and then open the holes and take a "warm" shower. I think the project will be awesome. Last year, EWB created a soybean harvester for a few farmers in Bolivia. I can't wait for senior year to come!
So I just recently decided where I'm going to have my internship at, which is in Huntsville, Alabama. That's right everyone! I'm working for NASA! :D I'll be in the propulsion department. I will be working with a mentor(s) on a lunar robot that will collect data on the moon! It might even be shipped on the next space flight to the moon! :D Isn't it wild!? It's a pretty cool internship, but there were a few others that I was really wanting to go to, but come on.. it's NASA! ha! Sometimes I find myself in disbelief when my friends ask me about it, but it's awesome! So if you have any questions about engineering, holler at me!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!! Take care--
Dionna
I just got back from Orlando, Florida, from Spring Break! Oh, how I miss the beautiful sunshine, warm temperatures, and Disney World. I know, trust me, I got a lot of heck from friends. "Isn't Disney World for little kids?" And let me just tell you,"No Way!" I love Disney World. Now its been awhile since I've been there last, about 4 years old, but it was just as I remembered it, but even more amazing!! I was actually able to ride the rollercoasters and the other scary rides. Standing 5'2" right now, trust me when I was 4 I didn't make the 48" mark. I got my picture taken with the Toy Story soldiers, and a few other characters. Then we went down to Pleasure Island!! It's awesome if you are 21, but if you are younger, you can't get into any of the dance clubs. Sadness.. for my friend.. but we still hung out downtown. There are so many shops, a Ghiradelli store, and a movie theatre. There is also Cirque de Soleil! (Pretty much a hoppin place) I flew down and stayed for a whole week! And then I came back to 7" of snow! Boo!
So now I'm back at school having to take mid-term exams that got pushed back, or working on projects that will be due next month, week, or day... haha! Oh what fun it is to be a junior! By the way, I have an interview with a company here on campus. It's really convient to have the interviews here, instead of driving some crazy miles, missing class, and paying the outrageous amounts for gas! (seriously has everyone seen the price for gas.. insane!!) This will be my fifth personal interview. I've had 2 phone call interviews, those are pretty much awkard, if you ask me. One interview I went to the company's campus, and took a tour of the place, and interviewed with 9 different people at 9 different times! Yeah.. a really long day, but it was pretty cool. I'm not going to lie, having options is a good thing and a bad thing. Good from the aspect that you can choose where you want to work at. Bad from the perception that if you get a lot of options that you love equally, well.. it just gets confusing and adds to the level of stress. Luckily I have found a great way to relieve stress.. friends! They are so amazing, without them.. I would die! Just kidding, but seriously.. how could anyone survive without friends? I'm not saying a lot.. but like maybe 2? but atleast 1 that knows you inside and out and isn't afraid to tell you the truth and not something that you just want to hear. By the way that's a true friend, not just someone that knows your name, and you share the same major or play intramurals together, so get some tight friends.. ha!
And I know all of you want to know how the whole wedding planning is going.. right!? HA! Well.. so far it's not.. I know.. I'm really not a slacker, but I honestly haven't had any time to just sit down, look at dresses, colors, etc. and trust me.. I'm not a girly girl. Thus the reason why I chose engineering.. jk, but seriously be prepared to have a lot of your courses taken with guys. Some are really cool, and some well.. aren't. :) But you'll have that in any situation of life. Sorry tangent, but the only thing we have decided on is the date. So.. Yay for us!
Last but not least, I can't forget to talk about intramurals! So Ultimate Frisbee is coming up, and boy do I have a stacked team! :) We're hoping to win, I mean, we're gonna have a great time because we're all tight friends.. (ha!).. but our team name is Los Luchadores.. I know.. from Nacho Libre. We're nutty, but that's what I love about the team, we're all the same, weird! But if you guys have any questions, comments, or what-have-yous.. shoot them my way and I'll reply.. sooner or later.
Have a great week!
Take care and God Bless--
Dionna
So it's that time again, spring semester meltdowns!! Just kidding.. But seriously, I'm taking 18 hours this semester. I transferred in my junior year, and I should be graduating this semester, but the junior college I attended, didn't offer any engineering courses. So I'm behind in my engineering courses, just have all my electives out of the way. So your thinking "Why is she taking 18 credits?" Well, to pass the time, I decided to pick up a minor in business administration. Sounds pretty easy.. right? Well.. it's easier than my engineering courses, but it's just a lot of tedious work that's for sure! It just adds onto my homework!! But I thought, "Hey what could make me more profitable when I graduate? BUSINESS!! that's the way to go!" Most engineers after they graduate, end up going back to college to get their MBA. This way, if i decide to get into the business side of things, I'll have only a few more courses to go. So that's an idea for all you engineer majors, get a business minor! ;) Trust me.. $$$$$ haha.. No but on the flip side of things, I do get to see all my friends!! BTW.. I'm engaged!! Yeah.. We're super pumped! My fiancee and I have been together for 3 years, and now we're about to seal the deal. But we're not getting married until the fall or 09 (after I graduate) The date might even get moved up, not for sure. But besides that exciting news, today I had a Thermofluids lab. It was really exciting! We made a bomb! That's right! We used an oxygen bomb calorimeter to measure the increase in temperature of diesel fuel. Pretty cool, huh? I thought so. The labs aren't too much fun to write up, but the experiments are pretty awesome.. really hands on! The professor pretty much stands there and lets the students do the experiment. They just step in, in case we burn the place down, or blow the building up. ha! Again, joke. But I have to do the whole homework thing. Get my bball game on tonight, I play intramurals A league ;) and walleyball. Then I have to start to pack because I'm leaving Friday at 2 after classes to a regional conference for SWE. (Society of Women Engineers) Whew, after this week I'll be ready for a nap!
-Take care and God Bless
Dionna
So.. I'm back from Thanksgiving break. And everything is back into play again. Yeah I thought I had it easy. Well I have three tests this week and a design project proposal that's due next week, and trust me those aren't just 5-10 pages, it's more like 20-30 pages! Luckily we work in teams. Anyway, my first day back to school started like this. I lost my keys to my car (I live off campus) and I was late for class about 20 mins, and trust me you don't want to miss out on a fluid dynamics lecture! I went to my classes, and then I went to work and then to another class, and back to work(in admissions). Then I worked out; came home made supper and felt sick and went to bed. I know rough day right? Well I just got finished working out and then I'll work on some homework, study a little bit, meet with an old friend for lunch, go to a meeting, and then do some more homework, study more, and go to another meeting, then go to a review session, and then come home and cry! Just kidding!! Ahh it's college, but I wouldn't want it any other way! Oh yeah just found out what I'm gonna do for spring break... I'm going to Disneyworld!!! literally!!
So lately this semester has been pretty hectic. But right now I'm just chillin the apartment waiting for my classes to start. Its daylight saving times here and I just get up earlier. Anyway, I've got a gi-normous Fluids test tomorrow, and my professor is giving us 4 hours to take it! Yikes! Yeah, notes, book, computer, internet, you name it you got it! Well.. besides another person! Ha! O well, I'm on the Aerodynamics team this year too. We just got our engine test machine done and waiting for our fuel to come it. It's a jet plane, o yeah Jetcat P80 engine, it's a beaut! Our team is gonna rock it! Anyway it's getting time for me to head to class.. Have a great day ya'll!!
Take care---
Dionna
Hey everybody!!
Well as you can see my name is Dionna. I have two older brothers, and my parents have been married for 27 years this December. (Yeah I know that) I'm from this really small town in Illinois. And that's pronounced ill- eh- noy .. not ill-i-noise!! Anyway, I'm currently a Junior this year, but my last semester here I'll only be taking one class, my senior project. I'm a mechanical engineer major, and loving every bit of it! Currently I'm taking Fluid Mechanics, Mechanics of Materials, Machine Analysis, History to 1865, and I have a Material Science Lab. So far they are a little challenging, but what classes aren't when you are a junior? Right? Anyway, right now I'm working on a history paper that's due tomorrow, and yes I will start it at 10:00pm. But it's alright!? After tomorrow at 3:00 it's fall break!! And I'm pumped! But if anyone would like to know anything about me, school, or just life in general send me a message!!
Take care--
Dionna
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