Summer at Dartmouth: Week Seven

Week seven! Summer is almost over. :( It does not seem like week seven has ended and we are beginning week eight already!

     This past week was a busy one. Monday and Tuesday were consumed by the Slider/Fun Food event taking place on Tuesday. We met to finish planning any last minute details for the Slider/Fun Food station featuring new products from PFG. I was tasked with determining allergens for the new products. This task was an unexpected whirlwind of chasing down boxes and ingredient lists. I definitely got my workout in for the day! After the day ended, Don and I went out to eat with the Corporate Executive Chef from PFG and the PFG sales representative at The Canoe Club. It was fantastic! We ordered appetizers for the table including a cheese plate, creamy mushroom gnocchi, and crispy shrimp and calamari. The crispy shrimp and calamari were my favorite although the creamy mushroom gnocchi was a close second. I ordered the Tenderloin Salad as my entree. It was perfectly cooked and delicious!

Sliders!

     Tuesday was here before I knew it. I finished determining allergens with the help of Jeff Quigley, a manager in 1953 Commons, and the guys from PFG. My next task was surveying students to determine which items they liked and didn't like. The new sliders for that day were:  beef, lamb, and veggie sliders as well as mini shrimp po' boys. The new fun foods served were: buffalo mac & cheese bites which were mac & cheese bites garnished with hot sauce, blue cheese, and celery; eggplant fries; sweet corn nuggets with maple syrup; and sweet potato puffs with caramel drizzle.  As I watched students pile a mountain of beef sliders and lamb sliders on their plates, I could tell those items were a hit! I was not able to get a large sample size because of the decreased number of summer students at Dartmouth and difficulty getting students to take the survey. The results we did get were mixed. The eggplant fries were a clear favorite, and received the highest ratings of the items surveyed. In the future, adding a slider to the regular menu rotation would be a fun novelty to add variety. The eggplant fries are another item to consider adding to the rotation full time.

    The grill guys slinging sliders

Buffalo mac & cheese bites!

     In the midst of the Slider/Fun Food Station craziness, I was asked to plan a monotony breaker for the dinner menu on Wednesday, August 21. Together with input from Don, we were able to plan a Menu Upgrade Night featuring Roasted Sirloin Strip, Breaded Shrimp, Banana Splits, Strawberry Shortcakes, and Fruit Tarts. This meal marks the last meal before the athletes arrive on campus to begin training for fall sports. It is truly the last meal of summer!

     This week I will be wrapping up my experience at Dartmouth. I'm looking forward to spending one more shift at Collis Cafe helping Mary Anne make baked goods! I'm also looking forward to working with the dietitian, Beth Rosenberger, to put together menu items to create one healthy meal of the day for each day of the menu cycle. I have an exciting but bittersweet week ahead at DDS!

University of Oklahoma Week 8 =(

            So we finished the internship about 3 weeks ago, but I totally forgot to post! Nova and I really had fun closing out our time in Oklahoma. We spent a day in the Flying Cow Cafe mostly making pizza! (Which happens to be my favorite food, so I had no complaints!) We also met with the dietitians in Goddard again and helped them plan for their next DISH with the Dietitian presentation. It was a lot of fun brainstorming with them! At the end of the week, Dot threw us a Goodbye party (complete with punch AND a cake!!) and invited all the housing & food managers. It was fun to get to see almost everyone all in the same place before we left. 

           I absolutely LOVED this entire experience! I learned way more than I thought my brain could process, met some fantastic people, and got to live in an entirely new place for two whole months. I don't think I could have asked for a better way to spend my summer! 

Nova and I hanging out on the statue- art on campus! :)

soakin up a little bit more of Oklahoma
sun before leaving in 2 days... typical

Leaving the office. Sad Day!

Pops- serving glass-bottle soda.
The only kind worth drinking!

Summer at Dartmouth: Week Six

      Six weeks down, and it's the final two week stretch! This past week was less busy as my internship coordinator, Don Reed, was out of town. Luckily, this gave me the chance to work in other areas of Dartmouth Dining Services.
      We are in the process of getting ready for fall here at Dartmouth. This means finalizing the fall menu and continually updating pricing and inventories. The fall menu is in the final revision processes. During a meeting on Tuesday, we met to review the menu as a staff. It was enlightening to hear the changes to the menu suggested as a current college student and intern at Dining Services. Many of the changes were geared towards providing a greater variety and more nutritionally sound options. It was heartening to hear that current dining trends at Dartmouth have students reaching for more steamed veggies.  
     I also worked with Novack Café. On Monday, I entered inventory for Novack Café. Due to a computer glitch, I wasn't able to finish entering inventory, but I was able to get a better feel for how all the different dining facilities on campus work together. From inventory to ordering to service each step is essential when running campus dining! I updated the Novack Café manual as well. Novack recently switched from Green Mountain Coffee to Pierce Brothers Coffee. I updated the training manual to reflect the changes in procedures and the changes in product at the Café so it will be all ready for training new student workers in the fall!
    I spent time working with Todd, the manager of Collis Market, this week as well! I got to sit in on a pitch for a new hygiene products/school supplies vendor made for the store. Many different factors apart from price are important to consider when choosing a product vendor. When the company plans to deliver each shipment, how often the company plans to deliver, how much of their inventory is kept in the store at one time, and willingness to work with the store to ensure the needs of the store's market are being reached are all important factors to consider when choosing a vendor. It's a lot to consider, but well worth it to find the right vendor for the needs of Collis Market. I also got to order the inventory for the store on Friday. It's important to order only what you need. Since there is not a lot of room for back stock, ordering too much stock can lead to crowded shelves, expired stock, and loss of profit. However, running out of a popular item can also lead to loss of profit. It was beneficial to have Todd's expertise when ordering. He knew about the demand of each product and the pack size it was shipped in. This saved me from ordering too much! I really enjoyed learning more about Collis Market and the ins and outs of running a campus store.
    I'll be busy preparing for the Slider Station/Fun Foods event taking place on Tuesday. Here's to another great week at Dartmouth

Final Adventure in the Upper Peninsula

It's difficult for me to say goodbye to this exciting adventure. This internship in the UP taught me about nutrition, food service and marketing and myself too. Not only did I learn to strategically solve food service problems, namely the Allergen Program, but I also renewed my love for the outdoors and meeting new people. The last week at NMU was packed with field trips, project touch ups and fun times with friends. I appreciate every opportunity I had this summer and look forward to my next trip back to the UP.


Bariatric Surgery
A few weeks ago, Robin and I sat through a bariatric surgery orientation for those interested in the procedure. Thanks to Robin's great communication skills, she was able to help me gain permission to observe an actual rue-en-y  gastric bypass surgery.

Tuesday I scrubbed up for the surgery and got ready to see my anatomy books applied!  I was fortunate to talk to Dr. Soto and Dr. English prior to the surgery and it was interesting to learn about the surgery through their perspective. During the actual surgery, altering the person's anatomy and consequently physiology was the sole focus for two hours. Prior to the surgery, the doctors communicate with the patient and make it clear what they will perform, but when the procedure is actually done the patient isn't awake and the abdomen is the only visible part of the body.

 I didn't really understand the work of a surgeon until actually observing one on the job. It was amazing to see Dr. English perform the rue-en-y procedure laparoscopically. What precision! Dr. English started with six small slits, 3 above and 3 below the navel. He inserted connectors that allowed him to insert tools into the abdomen easily. After clearing scar tissue and moving fat so his view of the stomach and small intestine was clear, he created a small pouch from the stomach and used a staple gun that created a secure "new stomach" the size of a thumb. Then, he strategically cut the small intestine and reconnected it to the new stomach. By eliminating the means for food to travel throughout the entire small intestine, less is absorbed and therefore less calories, etc. Dr. English was careful in closing off the stomach and small intestine no longer being utilized. Learning through a textbook doesn't compare to observing the body first hand. I have a new respect for the medical field in general.

What really stuck with me after the surgery was what the patient will endure afterwards. Inevitably, the female patient will have to make a lot of changes in her life. Her abdominal wall will be sore for quite some time and she will be consuming 1oz of food at a time for the rest of her life. Seeing the surgery and learning about the implications afterwards really enforces the importance of preventative medicine, including nutrition and fitness. Some see the surgery as the magic fix, but in reality, it's a permanent alteration that allows the patient to attempt to regaining their health back.

Scrubbed up and ready to observe!

Still smiling after seeing a surgery!

Kayaking Lake Superior
After work Tuesday [observing the bariatric surgery and visiting the Huron Mountain Club], Robin and I ventured out to Lake Superior near her house to explore the neat sandstone formations along the shore.  Although I don't have pictures from this adventure (a potential tipped kayak would ruin my camera), some of my best memories are from that evening. I am happy Robin and I got to exchange life stories and perspectives related to nutrition, wellness and happiness.

Final Project: the Showcase
I am pleased to say that we finished the final goal on my list- the showcase. I had to choose a topic, organize the information and decorations, and make the display appealing and easy to comprehend. I took information from one of the nutrition presentations I organized, "Health Dorm Room Snacks"and incorporated snacks from Cattrax, the convenience mart on campus to demonstrate that one can make simple swaps and still consume convenient, tasty foods. We made a make-shift dorm room to catch student's attention. While there needs to be some tweaking, the display turned out decent!

Pondering the Showcase...in the Showcase

Project Reflections
As far as my projects are concerned, I couldn't have completed them without the NMU Dining staff's help. My hope was that the information I laid out would make life easier when the time came to present the nutrition topics and diabetes information, present concise and appealing information about healthy dorm room snacks in the showcase, and create a smooth system for finding information about allergens. My intent for the Allergen manual, signage and employee training quiz was to establish consistency, build confidence and to instill the expectation that NMU Dining staff will deliver great food to all guests.  The disappointing part is that I won't be there at the start of school to see everything in action and to help when things need adjustments. I am excited to hear from my summer coworkers and look forward to my visit back to Marquette, MI. 

Last Great Moments
I am sad that I have to leave the Upper Peninsula  now that my internship has ended. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything and am grateful that I had the opportunity to work with great people, try new things and explore another part of the United States.

I spent my last few days with my favorite boss and friends. They've definitely taught me to enjoy life and embrace every moment!My Mom and Stepdad visited on my final weekend in the UP too. I was excited to share little glimpses of my internship. Below are pictures from my final days in Marquette, MI.

UP Friends 

The greatest boss, Robin and I

My Mom and I enjoying the outdoors

Appreciating the adventure,

Cassandra Schnelle
Dietetics/Nutrition, Fitness and Health
Purdue University '14

Yale University: Week Eight

The Final Week as a Yale Dining Intern

Myself, Veronica (our internship advisor), and Nicole.

Nicole and I wrapped up our eighth and final week as Yale NACUFS interns by polishing up some projects and enjoying the rest of our time in New Haven at Yale University. On Monday we met with the Student Wellness Health Educator, Haley, one last time to give her the bulletin board project we put together and shared the rest of the nutrition education materials Nicole and I have designed. The nutrition education projects Nicole and I have developed over the past eight weeks have included a "portion perspective" bulletin board,  napkin holder nutrition fun facts, a Yale version of MyPlate, gluten free awareness information for dining staff, and allergen information that will be available to those who eat in the dining halls. We also met with a current dietetic intern at Yale New Haven Hospital this week who gave us an overview of the internship program and introduced us to her director, as well as other individuals she has worked with. We worked another shift in the Yale Bake Shop where we pressed pie crusts, rolled cheesecake pops, and iced cakes. Our final day was filled with one last Uncommon Market shift, final farewells, and appreciation to the staff at Yale Dining.    

Tuesday evening after work we headed to East Rock Park where we hiked to the top of New Haven.

A sample of some of the projects Nicole and I undertook during our time at Yale.

A rough version of the bulletin board material Nicole and I created, which will be displayed in the Yale Student Wellness office.

                             A view of the Eatec screen Nicole and I became very familiar with over the past eight weeks. 

A sample of the napkin card displays Nicole and I designed.

Summary...

This internship has given us a better view of the complexity of operating a university foodservice operation. We have witnessed how difficult it is to communicate information throughout a hierarchy, from central office staff to the managers to the foodservice workers. Everyone has different concerns, but all must come together to achieve Yale Dining's ultimate goal, to provide excellence in hospitality. Although we spent most of our time in the central office, we were able to interact with managers throughout Yale's dining operation and become familiar with many of the foodservice workers, which allowed us to see all perspectives of the operation.The beginning of our internship coincided with the implementation of a new food inventory and purchasing system, Eatec, which gave us first hand experience in dealing with the pros and cons of a new system. While the central office staff worked diligently to get the new system up and running, it was evident that many of the long-time staff was hesitant to the change. Although the new system has its bugs to be fixed, in the long run, it will hopefully be a more convenient and efficient system for Yale Dining. Nicole and I found this to be a very unique and worthwhile experience. We are very appreciative of the individuals at Yale Dining, specifically to our advisor, Veronica Arcoraci, who contributed to making the past eight weeks a summer we will never forget.

Goodbye Yale Dining!

Week 8: Around the World in Tasty Ways

Around the World in Tasty Ways Picnic

The picnic is finally complete, but not without hard work from many team members this week! We spend the afternoons Wednesday through Friday preparing the food and remaining decorations for the employee picnic. I had a blast working in the kitchen each day- we split up into pairs to tackle the list and had an unspoken competition to finish the recipes first.  We didn't announce it, but I personally called an  tie in the end! Teamwork! The food list was simple yet represented the "world." From the theme to the food, I wanted the picnic to represent my adventurous side, since it's one of the major reasons why I chose to pursue this internship. I love experiencing new things and learning along the way and am so glad I got to host a picnic for the people I worked closely with.

The actual day of the picnic was hectic to say the least! Due to dreary weather, we had to move the location of the picnic last minute to the secluded senior pavilion on Presque Isle. Although the area wasn't as open as the original location at Tourist Park, it provided great coverage from the rain. It didn't help much with the chilly 50 degree weather though!

Once we were able to pack the trucks and head out to set up, things seemed to roll smooth. We did have minor hiccups- other events were canceled and as a result, the loading dock was congested, the karaoke cord was misplaced on the truck and not found until the end of the picnic and we forgot a necessary item, napkins- but overall the staff members appreciated the picnic. Despite the weather and location change, we had a good turn out. By the end, all of the bison burgers were eaten and everyone left satisfied and happen.

My great teammates prepping corn!

It's the little details- doily rolled silverware

The themed burger bar

Fun times singing (without music)

Time to eat!

Hiking up SugarLoaf Mountain
Lexie and I had a small adventure biking to Sugarloaf Mountain. We didn't realize how far it was, but it was a nice 10 mile bike ride and half hour hike! The sky was cloudy, but we're certain we saw the northern lights!

Lexie and I mid-hike!

The weekend ended with fun adventures camping in the woods. I've learned a lot throughout the internship, about nutrition and food service as well as about people, outdoors and myself. I'm sad that only one week remains, but I look forward to what it will bring!

Loving Adventure,

Cassandra