Penn State 2014! Blog 2: Week 1

I have always known it to be true that time flies when you are having fun. Now I also know time flies when you are flipping 3,000 pancakes for thousands of hungry volleyball players at the Happy Volley volleyball tournament. For our first weekend, we all jumped into the kitchens and experienced various positions at the expansive Findlay Dinning Commons. We did everything from prepping fruit, grilling chicken, manning the salad bar, to serving guests and by day three even answering questions from new student staff members.

Caitlyn and myself (Brittany) chopping cantaloupe at 5am .  

Josh and Jessica serving with a smile. 

What would a first week starting at an internship be without a #selfie scavenger hunt? Because we are one team with one goal, we took on the challenge of including all four of us in our selfie campus adventure pictures. Some may have been more successful than others. 

The Palmer Museum of Art (posing with the paw)

Old Main

The Berkey Creamery (aka favorite place on campus)

I think I speak for everyone when I say that already, this experience is so much more than I could have hoped for in an internship or even a summer. I don't want Maria to cry so I will keep this short and sweet, I could not have asked for a better supervisor to help us through this process. And these other three people? They are some real cool cats. As in pick out all the cool cats in the world and these three are all standing on the podium for being the coolest of the cool. That's all for now! Interns!

Penn State 2014! Blog 1: The Arrival

             The day finally came! On May 20th I started my 18 hour trek from Arkansas to Pennsylvania to begin my two month internship with NACUFS at the Pennsylvania State University. Upon arriving I was immediately assured that the trip was worth it. I was barely out of my car when a lady yelled "JOSH?" out of no where from across the parking lot. I had just met my supervisor Maria Kim for the first time. She immediately gave me a warm welcome and showed me where my room was. Inside my room I was treated to even more hospitality with a fridge packed FULL of drinks and a bag of snacks. I could already tell I was going to enjoy my time here.

              The next day I was formally introduced to the other three interns here at Penn; Caitlyn, Brittany, and Jess. Once we finished our brief introductions we headed over to the ABS conference with Maria for the day. At the Auxiliary & Business Services conference we listened to a keynote speaker, ate a delicious lunch, and went to seminars on Workplace Bullying and Technology.

            The keynote speaker turned out to be fantastic, her name was Vernice "Flygirl" Armour. Vernice was the first ever female combat pilot in the marines and now that she has retired form service she travels as a motivational speaker. Trust me, she's got some crazy stories. During her speech we were repeatedly exposed to her motto "One Team. One Goal!" which we shouted while punching the air. It was extremely motivational and put me in a great mood for the rest of the day. We even got some selfies with Vernice.

 The NACUFS Intern crew with Maria and Vernice.

 Vernice and I showing off her signature "One goal. One team." hand explosion.

               After such a welcoming and eventful start I am only looking forward to the rest of my time here. I cannot wait for the rest left to come, I'm sure this internship is going to be an experience I will never forget! I'm already so thankful for everyone here and feel blessed to get this opportunity.

             

University of Connecticut

McMahon Dining Hall

As I sit writing this blog, I am avidly listening to a symphony of whistles emanating from the kitchens of McMahon Dining Hall. This seemingly small detail is a true testament to the inclusive, up-beat, and content culture of UConn. As Rachael and I forge forward in our internship, we feel ourselves being pulled into this happy world, and are constantly asking ourselves "Is this real life?"

Dinner at McMahon

Peter Haynes in Purchasing

Continuing the whirlwind tour of UConn Dining Services, Rachael and I spent last Thursday at the Commissary learning about the world of Purchasing. As we quickly discovered, purchasing is not composed merely pushing a button and receiving the goods, but is a delicate equation of timing, precision, and communication. One slip-up can have severe consequences for the dining halls and food providers alike. Tracey Roy, Associate Director/Procurement, started our purchasing education with a brief overview of how purchasing works, and the roles of each member of the purchasing staff. Next, we spoke with Pattie Noren and learned about the necessary steps to making and completing a Purchase Order. Pattie was very patient in dealing with our blatant lack of knowledge and experience relating to purchasing, and graciously provided us with candies to sustain the rest of our adventures. Our next stop was in Peter Haynes' office. Peter showed us the steps to completing an order, and sending the orders to the food providers. It seemed that each food provider had their own means of receiving orders, making Peter's job that much more complicated. In a moment of fun, Peter also demonstrated his juggling skills, by expertly juggling a stapler remover, a stress ball, and a candle. Luckily, no injuries were incurred.

Attempting to make omelets

Taylor and Beth Fields

Friday took us to a completely different realm of Dining Services. We began our morning learning the surprisingly complex art of flipping omelets, under the tutelage of Beth Fields. Beth had long mastered the art, and was very eager to share tips and tricks with us unexperienced breakfast chefs. After a few omelets met their demise in the flaming hot burners of the wok station, Rachael and I slowly increased in skill level, although I fear we will never reach Beth's level. On a side note, we had the privilege of serving a select few of the UConn athletes. One athlete ordered two omelets and two eggs over-easy, and then proceeded to make an omelet sandwich. Another football player started his meal with 13 hard-boiled eggs. Rachael and my jaws hit the floor as they consumed every last crumb, and then went back for more. It's no wonder that UConn is so fantastic at sports; the players know how to eat!

Memorial Day weekend took us to new and exciting parts of New England. We explored Newport Harbor on a sunset cruise, attended our first drive-in movie, and enjoyed the beach in Misquamicut, RI. Life is good.

Rachael at Misquamicut Beach, RI

-Taylor Pond

I never thought this day would come, but my internship at UCONN has finally begun! The people are kind, the campus is gorgeous, the views are breath taking, and my intern partner in crime Taylor Pond is fantastic! I arrived at my new home for the next 2 months with a fully stocked fridge, a furnished home, and welcoming smile from our program director Carol Cronin. The hospitality I received in the first few minutes of meeting this wonderful woman gave me an indication that my internship at UCONN is going to be one of the best experiences of my life!

Our first day we took a tour of the campus, weaving in and out of architecturally stunning buildings. Taylor and I viewed the wide variety of dinning halls and were privilege to meet some of the managers still left for the summer. The following day we were greeted by Dennis Pierce, Executive Director of Dining Services, and the entire summer staff, with a breakfast reception held in our honor to welcome us to their campus. We might have been tricked into giving a small introductory speech about ourselves, but the welcoming people and delicious breakfast most certainly made up for it! 

After an exciting morning, our day became even more eventful with a surprise invitation to Rob Landolphi's test kitchen, the Culinary Operations Manager for UCONN. For a full hour we were able to watch new healthy creations take place that would replace a Wendy's fast food chain in the student union. His genius culinary colleagues consisted of Ron Swillers and Peter Stetson who helped create five mouth watering salads and four flat breads, that pushed the envelope of creativity as well as our taste buds! My personal favorite was the beet and brussel sprout flat bread. It had a hearty savory flavor that only made you crave more! 

The first two days of our internship have been so exciting that I can't wait to see what further adventures await us!

-Rachael Rounsley 

University of North Dakota

After burning rubber for nearly 1,100 miles I finally saw the first sign that indicated Grand Forks, North Dakota was only 75 miles away! A shudder of excitement rippled through me, and I knew this was only the beginning of a fantastic life adventure. The University of North Dakota has welcomed me with open arms, and is making it very easy to call this beautiful town home, for the next eight weeks. My first day was filled with a tour of campus and meeting the many people which I will be working with this summer. Now comes the challenge of remembering all the names, and where everything is on campus!

I hit the ground running by starting my very first project! It was time to get “down and dirty” with food safety. The project is setting up a study hall for employees taking the ServSafe exam this summer, so they will be prepared for the test. I was lucky to hone my teaching skills and set up and record lectures for each of the chapters. I don’t think I will ever get used to seeing myself teach as a recording, but it does help me see how I can improve! Now the great challenge for next week is putting it all together for the employees in blackboard!

My only regret here is not having my bike to enjoy all their beautiful biking trails! I have still been able to enjoy them on foot, though. My camera doesn't quite do it justice, but here are some pictures so you can enjoy the trails with me!