Week Four at the University of New Hampshire!

Well another exciting week, full of adventure and learning has come and gone here at UNH. On Monday I was assigned to work with Deborah Scanlon, Manager of Holloway Commons, one of UNH's main dining halls. I had the pleasure of experiencing a middle school field trip, that came to tour Holloway Commons and learn about the operations. This was a great way for me to learn all of what goes on at Holloway as well. The middle-schoolers split up into four groups and rotated to learn about the kitchen/chefs, local farming, nutrition, and sustainability. Myself along with Deb, toured the loading dock of Holloway Commons with the students. Deb taught them all about the various sustainability efforts that Holloway has set in place to make dining there as efficient as possible. The have a pulper which breaks down all compostable items, which is then sent off to a farm to be mixed into soil, which is then used at the Campus's local farm to grow fresh foods, which are then used and consumed by students/ faculty at Holloway. It is an amazing recycling process, that really strives to avoid wasting. There are also various ways the hall conserves electrical energy. They have a great cardboard recycling process, and they use old oil as bio-fuel for machinery/vehicles. I learned a lot about Holloway Commons on Monday and really enjoyed working with the students.

 In the evening I spent time with my mother and her friend. We traveled to York, had dinner next to the beach, and even got to visit the very famous Nubble Light House!

Our view for dinner!

The very popular Nubble Light House in York, Maine.

We had to stop for some ice cream:)

I got to try a Lobster Roll for the very first time! They are very popular in the New England area. It's basically a lobster meat salad on a roll, and it is oh so good!

A beautiful view opposite of Nubble.

Tuesday, I spent more time with Deb in Holloway. I really got to experience her managerial roll as they prepared for a busy weekend. They would be hosting a lunch and cook-out for a group known as Up-ward Bound, which is here on campus during the summer. I learned that communication is key when supervising a large dining establishment. It is important that all your workers are on the same page and working well together for an operation to run smoothly. I was able to meet a lot of the supervisors at Holloway and even attend a meeting with Deb and her two assistant managers.

Tuesday evening I also took a spontaneous trip to the beach to relax and get some reading in!

Wednesday and Thursday I continued to help at the Dairy Bar. Because of some prior experience I've had with menu boards, Jane asked that I re-design one of  the ice cream menu boards that hangs in the Dairy Bar. I had a fun time writing out all the flavors and creating a new clean board for customers to read off of. I also have become closer with some of the girls working at the Dairy Bar. It is so nice to bond with students that attend UNH and learn from peers as well. In the evening, Rochelle had invited me to a local yoga session at a farm known as Wagon Hill. It was a wonderful experience to preform yoga outside, as well as bond with Rochelle one on one.

Working on the ice cream menu for the Dairy Bar!

Yoga on Wagon Hill with Rochelle and her amazing hair!

On Friday, I spent time in Foodpro working on an inventory project. Dahlia had me re-sequencing inventory for Union Court and then updating menu prices for all of the concepts in Union Court. In the afternoon, I also got to attained a taste testing for UNH concessions. I met David May, Associate Vice President of Business Affairs, and experienced some collaboration between retail and business affairs. The taste testing was held to make decisions on what types of food will be sold at the university's concessions stands during sports events. It was a great experience.

Concessions taste testing! 

Over the weekend Sierra (another summer intern, and UNH student) and I spent the day at Wallis Sands beach, got dinner at the Beach Plum, and spent the evening hammocking in our residence. On Sunday, I re-visited Wagon Hill, did a little hammocking and sun bathing.

Wallis-Sands beach with Sierra!

The Beach Plum was an amazing place to eat. Set up much like a boardwalk inside, customers even dine at picnic tables!

Our fresh haddock sandwiches and I had to get Sierra to try fried pickles for the first time!

Hammocking outside at the Woodsides.

And my Sunday adventure back at wagon hill, hammocking and exploring!

Stay tuned for more adventures!