University of Northern Iowa--Week One

Hello! My name is Kirsten and I am the NACUFS intern at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) for this summer. I am from a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin  and am a senior dietetics student at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. I will be applying for dietetics internships next semester and will be graduating next May. At school, I am involved with the dietetics club, the campus food pantry, and work as a student bakery manager for the university dining services. It will be interesting to compare contrast the dining systems here at UNI with UW - Stevens Point!

I have been moved in to the campus in Cedar Falls, Iowa for less than a week, but is already starting to feel like home. The campus has lots of green space, beautiful landscaping, and neat outdoor sculptures. Last Tuesday, my family helped me move into my single studio - style apartment in the residence hall closest to my work place, which was thoughtfully assigned by my hall director. I spent the day settling in, exploring campus, and reading through my internship booklet.

On Wednesday, I began my internship! I met with my internship coordinators Lisa and Susan. They spent the day walking me through the internship process and schedule, showing me around campus and the dining centers, and introducing me to the office staff and dining mangers. It was great to meet so many friendly and helpful people in one day! The rest of the work week involved multiple recipe testing sessions (yum!), a tour of Cedar Falls and Waterloo led by Lisa, an informative and fun computer and technological systems rotation, several meetings, and a menu labeling webinar.

In the evenings after work, I have been keeping busy cooking, reading, exploring, playing volleyball, and hanging out with my neighbors who are psychology research interns. I am excited to see what will be in store during my first full week that starts tomorrow!

Colorado State University: Arrival (Day 1 and 2)

Day 1:


My journey to Colorado State University began at 4:30am.  My mother dropped me off at the airport and a few hours later I would be leaving my home in The Bahamas to fly to Atlanta, onto Minneapolis and then finally Denver, Colorado where I met my awesome Internship Coordinator, Ben.

I was extremely tired, despite having slept for the entirety of the three legs of my flight, I still wanted more sleep.  Ben understood this and invited me to sleep the entire car ride.  This did not happen as Ben and I found too many interesting things to talk about.  I totally forgot that I was sleepy.  My journey had begun and I was excited. 

I generally don't like commutes longer than 30 minutes, but the drive time truly flew by.  Ben talked about the awesome outdoor opportunities in Fort Collins - which I will definitely take advantage of!  We talked about the controversial oil rigs surrounding Colorado and politics in general.  Ben and I both shared background information about our hometowns and activities we enjoyed.  And of course, we talked about the food-service industry!  All this is to say that Ben was extremely accommodating and welcoming.  I'm really not one to get nervous, but I'm sure if I had any bit of nerves about my internship experience at Colorado State University and living in Colorado - Ben had certainly eased my concerns and made me feel welcomed.  I find Ben to be open, frank and very personable.

Due to my poor packing I needed to go to a convenience store to pick up a few items.  I was advised that a Rite-Aid was a 15-minute walk away.  Ready to explore Fort Collins on foot, I headed out for a few personal items - not realizing that this was going to be about a 2.5 mile journey.  I honestly didn't mind since I had nothing else to do. I got to see a lot of the school's campus, which is much bigger than my college's campus.  On the way I talked to a lot of locals and students and each person suggested that I had to visit "Old Town".  By the time I got back to my room it was too dark to travel alone, so I decided to put Old Town on my to-do list for the next day.

Miles and miles of  thick, green trees :D

Day 2:  

After lunch I decided to head out to Old Town.  On my way there I saw a restaurant called Fat Shack, I probably shouldn't have been, but I was excited to try something from the menu.  I ordered a Fat Veggie sandwich (mozzarella sticks, onion rings, zucchini sticks, fries and buffalo ranch sauce).  It was yummy!  I had to resist looking up the nutritional information for this sandwich.  I spent about 3 hours walking around Old Town and even found a Caribbean restaurant!   I will definitely be paying them a visit this weekend. 

Horse statue in Old Town Square

I picked up a few items on sale from a clothing store and was confused when the cashier advised that I would be paying $34.00 and not $27.00.  I had completely forgotten that only in Minnesota was clothing tax exempt.

Ben suggested that I  invest in a bike and he was right.  As much as I love walking, I will never see all of Fort Collins if I walked.  

Orientation begins first thing Monday morning at 7am!  So goodnight until tomorrow.

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!