Q&A with Anvay Sane, club president
What are the objectives and missions of the Food Science Club?
Our mission is to educate, innovate and inspire students to explore the exciting world of food sciences while establishing lasting links with peers and industry leaders.
When and where the club meets?
Club meetings take place in the 2379 Food Sciences Building, which is Culinary Discovery Lab, both Tuesday during the semester. Dinner is served from 5.30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the meeting is from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
What opportunities does the club have for students to get involved? Direction?
The Food Science Club offers students to get many opportunities. If you are interested, we encourage you to dive – whether by attending meetings, philanthropic events, leadership roles, club trips, fundraising or other opportunities! There are 11 positions in our management team, which offer members the possibility of being part of the decisions and planning which have a direct impact on our club. We organize our elections every fall at the second semester meeting. For those who want to be involved but do not want to get involved in a management position, there are many ways to get involved in the club of food sciences which makes it a special community. Club trips are one of the ways we build camaraderie between members while allowing students to create professional relationships. In addition, we are only counting on members’ volunteers to help with our fundraising to do the fudege and sell, which requires a lot of working hours and is another excellent opportunity to get involved in the club!
What are the events, activities or fundraising of the club?
We organize a variety of events through the club, ranging from career development and fundraising to educational trips and philanthropy events. Our main fundraising is the sale of fudge of Valentine’s Day, which takes place in February. We also go on tours as clubs in food production facilities. The fall trip is generally a day trip. Last fall, we went to Mason City, Iowa, where we did a tour like Cargill, Kraft-Heinz, Smithfield and Bushel Boy. The spring trip takes place every two years during the spring holidays, and we generally move away from a little more than Iowa. For the next trip, we will go to Louisville, Kentucky, where we are going to tour like Ferrero, Dawn Foods, Bigelow Tea, Louisville Vegan Jerky Company and more. For philanthropy, we generally do volunteering in various steam nights (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) in elementary schools around Ames, where we demonstrate science experiences linked to food to students to enthusiastic them for a career in food sciences. We have also gathered and sold food science kits for children so that the next generation is enthusiastic about the science of food.
Who can join the club? Are there any requirements?
There are not many requirements to join the club. Our club is open to students of all the majors who are interested in the food sciences and the food industry. Students must pay contributions of $ 15 per year to become a member of the club.
What makes the Food Science Club fun and unique?
What makes the Food Science Club fun and unique is the large combination of educational and fun activities. In our club, we help career development students thanks to the construction of curriculum vitae, networking opportunities with industry professionals and discussions on alumni, graduate students and teachers. The club has a ton of light activities such as food media, decoration of cookies, Trivia nights and more.
What is the FIDGE manufacturing process for Valentine’s Day fundraising? Who is involved?
During the Week of the Fudge, we ask all the members of the club to volunteer to do and sell fudge. Anyone help can gain credit to the club, which can go to purchases such as club trips or goods. Under the supervision of our co -presidents of Fudge, Libby and Samika, and our adviser, Kate Gilbert, the club treats more than 250 pounds of fudge in just three days. For our chocolate fudge, the process begins by melting the butter with milk and evaporated sugar until it reaches 226 F. Then we mix the chocolate, the marshmallow and the vanilla until the mixture is completely smooth. Once the fudege is ready, we pack it in aluminum boxes and add corresponding garnishes. Each flavor has slight variations, but they all follow a similar basic recipe. Fudge week can be hectic, but it is incredibly rewarding to see the positive reactions of those who command!
What is the money collected?
The money earned by Fudge can contribute to almost all the expenses of the Food Sciences club. Certain parts of IT are devoted to the supply of meals during our meetings, to the creation of food science kits for children, in participation in vapor nights and much more. Most of it is used to finance club trips, which aim to connect our club members to industry professionals and help them explore different aspects of food science.
Is there anything else you want to share on the Food Science Club?
Food Science Club is an ideal place to meet new people if you are interested in food. We are a very friendly group of people and like to add members to our community!
Information compiled by Katrina Hageman