Sunday June 1, 2014 - Day 1
I have finally arrived at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. I spent a week before my arrival exploring sights unseen to a native Philadelphian. Days 1-4 of my time out west were spent hiking and camping in Moab, Utah. If you haven’t been there I suggest making arrangements now. I made it back to home-base at a college friend’s home in Denver, Colorado. No stone was left unturned as we explored the city on bikes, visiting Denver City Park, various eateries and unique craft breweries in the area. On the final day of my stay in Colorado, I was fortunate enough to go snowboarding for the first time. Arapahoe Basin is one of the only mountains still open in the Rockies, and we took full advantage of what snow was left. After a long physical day on the mountain, we freshened up and prepared to meet for dinner at Steuben’s in Denver with my NACUFS roommate, Josh Reyes. Josh will be a senior at Arizona State University, majoring in Food Industry Management, a unique gateway into the industry.
Josh and I arrived in Laramie to be greeted by our internship coordinator at UW, Mark Zieres. We received a warm welcome and moved into our housing immediately, followed by a tour around the town of Laramie. The town is unlike Philadelphia or its neighboring suburbs, to say the least. Having it been Sunday, most stores, shops and restaurants were closed, but I am excited to explore the scene with an open mind. The surrounding landscape is beautiful and like nothing I’ve had the opportunity to experience to date.
Monday June 2, 2014 - Day 2
Fresh Gear
We started our day by finalizing paperwork for payroll and met with Roxi Knopp in human resources. The role of human resources is more involved than one would think. We learned about the various obstacles the organization must overcome when hiring, terminating, or letting employees go, and how they use these experiences to forecast for the future. This is especially important on a college campus, where employee schedules and lives are always growing with change and changing with growth.
After a great discussion with Mrs. Knopp, we met some of the catering staff and moved on to meet with Amy Bey, RD. Our discussion with Amy included such topics as sustainability, purchasing, nutrient yields, vendors, and an introduction to the C-BORD database, a lifeline of the dining operation at the university. The C-BORD database allows the purchaser to easily analyze the amount of food needed versus what is available in-house. We then had a chance to tour the gardens we will be working in over the next few days. The garden, started by the Residence Hall Association, offers no substantial profit for food grown, however serves as a learning tool for students and interns such as myself.
University of Wyoming campus
Our final task of the day took us for a walk around campus, where we were introduced to the many retail food locations, most of which are self-operated. Some locations included The Book and Bean, the convenience (C) store, a pizza eatery, and Elements sandwich shop. Later in the summer, Josh and I will have a chance to get hands-on experience at each location.
The Book and Bean
While our day included no detailed objectives to complete, we were able to see the lay of the land and prepare for the challenges and excitement to come. We wrapped up a beautiful Laramie day by taking a short hike in Vedauwoo on the Turtle Rock trail. I’m excited for the rest of the week and I am confident the next will be even more fulfilling.
Turtle Rock Trail - Vedauwoo, Wyoming
Until next time,
Chris Ware
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