Honey’s students soak up design, culture during study tour to France, Italy

November 4th, 2009

Jessica Conrardy (foreground), Melissa Ross and Allison Pfeifer sketch at Villa Emo.

Peggy Honey has a subtle goal.

Of course, she wants her interior design students to touch Renaissance buildings, to walk through the nearly 2,000-year-old Pantheon, to stand in front of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Borghese Palace, to fall in love with the Scrovegni Chapel in Padova and the Musee des Artes Decoratif in Paris.

But most of all, the professor wants to introduce them to life-long open mindedness. She wants her students to have a positive experience so they’ll boldly hit the road again and again to absorb more culture.

Honey and professional photographer Alan Honey led a study tour of France and Italy in June. With 14 students and one mom, the interior design professor and the photographer spent two weeks sketching, walking, photographing, and studying.

Better than textbooks

For the students, textbook images came alive.

“No textbook or virtual tour can prepare you for the feeling when you enter the Pantheon; the unexpected coolness of the space that is situated in a very temperate area of the world,” said Stacy Davis, “or the amount of light that is present in buildings that were built before the invention of electric power.”

Kim Riege in the nave of Vezelay, a great Romanesque pilgrimage church.

“Being able to walk through the Roman forum and realize that Julius Caesar had walked right where you were standing was amazing!” recalled Melissa Ross.

“Something about actually standing in the structures of Italy and France and experiencing their overwhelming proportions gave a whole new meaning to the information we had learned in class,” said Lydia Travis, who made her first trip outside the United States. “I was surprised by the scale of the architecture as well as the amount of detail that went into the design and decoration of the structures and their interiors.”

Davis said she noted the similarity of building materials in one region. “It made me re-evaluate why we ship materials from far away for a building, and then insert them all over the country, creating the same sense of place in multiple areas with very different geographic contexts,” she said.

Cathedrals and country homes

Walking to the Eiffel Tower at night; touching the marble used to build St. Peter’s; admiring French country scenery; dining on Italian food; listening to monks sing their chants in a Romanesque cathedral overlooking Florence. Favorite moments seemed to encompass most of the itinerary.

The study trip solidified students’ career choices. Stacy Davis realized she wants to work in historic preservation. Melissa Ross improved sketching and photography skills, making her more well-rounded and marketable, she said.

Honey organized her first study tours in 2005. She included France because she studied there and that was “a life-changing experience.” Alan Honey is fluent in Italian.

“We don’t have a lot of truly old architecture for the students to experience in this country. In France and Italy, they can experience both architecture and history,” she said.

“I try to prepare them for the history and the culture, and to be independent travelers. They are responsible for much of their own agenda,” she added. “But universally, I have found there is no way for them to anticipate the age, beauty and cultural differences they will see.”

“It’s an awakening. They lose a little of that American egocentrism.”

Students go with “this great attitude of soaking it in,” she said.

Outside the American bubble

Honey accomplished her subtle goal this trip. Students agreed that the trip changed them.

Kaitlin Jones said she became more open to other cultures.

“The tour made me appreciate parks and public spaces more, it made me appreciate wonderful sit down meals where you can converse over good food; it also made me want to lobby for having better public transportation systems,” Davis said.

Lydia Travis agreed. “It made me realize and appreciate how diverse and unique our world is. It also made me realize how small we are in the grand scheme of things. Experiencing these cultures forced me to slow down, take in my surroundings, and pay attention to details,” she said.

Katie Hoffman made her first trip outside American borders. “I have learned to conserve space, resources, and time,” she said. “Europeans walk everywhere, they live in tiny spaces, they are completely content with it. I think we are too greedy and too lazy.”

Added Amy Boeshaar, “Seeing another culture and how other people go about their day to day life definitely opened my eyes and got me out of a bubble that I was living in.”

Honey is planning a study tour to England in 2011.

Students at Fontenay Abbey in France

Photos courtesy of Alan Honey
Prepared by Human Ecology communications

K-State profs fill program at ADA

October 27th, 2009

K-State went to the head of the class last week at the American Dietetics Association annual meeting in Denver with seven presentations.

Stand-up presentations were:

“Exploring Restaurant Managers’ Beliefs about Food Safety Training” presented by Kevin R. Roberts, on research he conducted with Betsy Barrett. Both are in Department of Hospitality Management and Dietetics (HMD).

“Beliefs and Perceptions of School Foodservice Personnel about HACCP Implementation” by Lynn Riggins, University of Central Missouri. Her presentation was based on research she did here with Barrett.

Poster presentations were:

“Food Safety Practices in Ethnic Restaurants in Kansas” from Carol Shanklin, Junelee Kwon and Roberts. All are on the faculty in HMD. Shanklin is head of K-State’s graduate school.

“Multi-institutional Delivery of Internet-based Graduate Education to Dietetics Professionals” from Deb Canter, HMD department head, and faculty from other universities.

“Older Adults Technology Preferences Related to Food Safety Education” from Roberts; Valentina M. Remig, human nutrition; Toni J. Bryant, human nutrition extension; Gerry Snyder, multi-media specialist.

“Discussion Groups with Mature Adults Help Identify Food Safety Issues and Barriers” from Remig, Roberts, Bryant and Snyder.

“Food Safety Training Needs for Evacuation Shelters Operated by Faith Based Organizations” from Kwon and co-authors from Texas Women’s University, D. Ryu, L. Zottarelli and S. Kwon.

College boasts 2,275 students

October 16th, 2009

Kansas State University enrolled a record number of students this year: 23,581. A total of 2,275 of those are in the College of Human Ecology, 31 more than in 2008.

The 20th day enrollment figures show students with on-campus enrollment in Manhattan of 20,206. Last year’s total enrollment was 23,520, with 19,991 on campus students in Manhattan.

The college enrolled 1,902 undergraduates, 283 master’s degree student and 91 PhD students.  This fall the college has 229 undergraduate distance students and 185 distance graduate students.

Coila Farrell bakes winning raisin bread

October 16th, 2009

Coila Farrell, assistant instructor in the Department of  Housing and Dining, placed third in the America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest recently at the American Institute of Baking, Manhattan.

Farrell entered Golden Harvest Raisin Bread with Toasted Walnuts.

She is a hotel and restaurant management graduate.

“I was really proud of Coila. Her technique was wonderful and her bread looked absolutely fantastic,” said Mary Molt, assistant professor. “A special thanks to Fern Mayfield and Sarah Severns for all their work to help Coila shine.”

California Raisin Marketing Board sponsored the competition which drew 30 bakers from around the country.

Farrell was awarded an all-expense paid trip to California in March. She will visit the home office of the California Raisin Marketing Board, the Culinary Institute of America, and other attractions.

Restaurant food safety research featured

September 29th, 2009

The Packer, weekly business newspaper for the produce industry, interviewed Kevin Roberts, assistant professor in hospitality management and dietetics, about  K-State research in food safety practices in restaurants.

“Foodservice Study: Steps beyond training crucial to safe food handling,” published on Sept. 22, was written by Ashley Bentley.

Others on the research team were Carol Shanklin, Laura Brannon, Valerie Pilling and Betsy Barrett. Read the story on The Packer web site.

New Extension program focuses on distinctive military family problems

September 18th, 2009

Hug dolls have a photo of a soldier-parent replacing the doll’s face. They help young family members connect with the parent during absences.

In addition to typical problems, families of military personnel face special difficulties associated with deployment and frequent moves.

Separations, new roles of a single, but-not-single parents and sole responsibility for a household are just a few, said Toni Jo Bryant. She coordinates Extension Military Life Skills, a new program in which the Kansas State Research and Extension helps families assigned to Fort Riley.

Bryant is a former military wife who understands the stresses of military life. “After moving, families have to adjust to a new location, school and community, while also reaching out to make new friends are part of military life,” she added.

A special teaching team focuses on four areas of the program: family life and community, child development, health and nutrition, and family resources and financial management.

Four Research and Extension specialists

Erin Bishop

Erin Bishop focuses on family life education. This skill includes helping families build communications skills that reduce and resolve conflicts before they become issues, and strengthening the role of fathers in families and the community.

“Stress from absences challenges families that, when reunited, may also have to cope with post traumatic stress,” said Bishop, who earned both a bachelor´s and master´s degrees in family studies and human services at K-State.

Sara Mietzner

Sara Mietzner specializes in child development. Cognizant of the ever-changing dynamics within the family and particularly within military families, she hopes to help parents learn how to parent successfully and to help families build skills that nurture resilience.

Susan Schoneweis

Susan Schoneweis, a registered dietitian, is the nutrition and health specialist.

Her teaching plans include tours of the commissary to share shopping strategies and tips for choosing foods that contribute to health and saving money. She is planning classes on adapting meals and snacks to reduce hypertension and aim for heart healthy eating, sports nutrition, and food safety.

Debra Wood

Debra Wood helps families build financial management skills. Military families can be vulnerable to the normal pitfalls in managing money, yet also have more relocation expenses or, after returning from deployment, be tempted to spend a bonus quickly, without considering long-term financial goals, she said.

Wood has a master´s degree in family studies and human services with an emphasis in personal financial planning. A Certified Financial Planner, she teaches financial management as part of a new youth apprenticeship program called Hired! The effort focuses on workforce preparedness, and classes are already scheduled through 2010. She and Schoneweis teach families how to manage food dollars when eating at home or in a restaurant.

Bryant earned a bachelor´s degree in marketing and management at the University of Texas El Paso-BBA and a master´s degree in hospitality management and dietetics-consumer food safety at K-State.

The effort is funded by a grant from the U. S. Department of Defense.

More information on the program is available by contacting the Military Life Skills office at 785-239-9991 or by visiting the program web site.

Prepared by K-State Research and Extension News Media Services and Human Ecology communications.
Photo by K-State News Media Services.

Students go global for internships, summer study

September 14th, 2009

The globe turned purple this summer when Human Ecology students spread their wings to study and work on internships. These are only a few of the student travelers:

HRM interns climb highest mountains

Fifty-three hotel and restaurant management students did professional internships, a requirement for graduation. Courtney Cole, left atop Mt. Healy, Casey Walker and Clayton Connor worked with Aramark in Denali National Park, Alaska. The experience offered career contacts and the chance to explore Alaska, Connor said. And see grizzlies. Also at Denali were Danielle Rodriguez and Anthony Fagan. Amy Armstrong traveled the farthest for her HRM internship. She worked with Maldron Hotels in Dublin, Ireland.

Volunteers in Africa research thesis, project

Courtney Held, left back row, and Valerie Stull, right back row, pose with the youngsters at Good Shepherd Children’s Home in Maai Mahiu, Kenya. The two K-Staters spent the summer working with the non-governmental organization (NGO) called Comfort the Children: Stull, graduate student in public health nutrition, for thesis research; Held, senior in dietetics and public health nutrition, for an Honors Project in which she is helping develop flip charts for nutrition education. In addition to volunteer work with the children’s home, they provided nutrition education to women in the community and spent time at the public primary school in Ngeya. Stull’s thesis work evaluates a community garden project. Both received College of Human Ecology scholarships to help fund their trips, the first to Africa for Held and third to Africa for Stull.

Junior studies Aboriginal families (and Aussie animals) first hand

Kelsey Flickner spent seven weeks in Perth, Western Australia, in the Aboriginal Studies program at Murdock University. Her class, called “Wanju Boodjah,” focused on Aboriginal culture and way of life. “I got first hand accounts of spiritual ceremonies, visited places of significance, and interacted with Aboriginal elders. Also, I learned how gender played an important part in the Aboriginal society,” she said. A junior in family studies and human services, with a minor in leadership studies, Flicker recalled the significance of a half-day hike up Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Ranges: “Bluff Knoll was called Bular Mial (many eyes) or Bala Mial (his eyes) by Nyoongar people, depending on the intent of the speaker. This was because the rocks on the bluff were shaped like the eyes of the ancestral master spirit that are visible on the mountain today. The peak is often covered with mists that curl around the mountain tops and float into the gullies. These constantly changing mists were believed to be the only visible form of the Noyt (meaning spirit).”

Senior, New Zealand “challenge” each other

For Kelcii Peck, senior in nutrition, exercise science and dietetics, New Zealand was an obstacle course this summer. With 17 other North American college students, Peck participated in a 2-week Challenge New Zealand leadership program of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad. The students were challenged physically (climb Mt. Ruapehu on your own); emotionally (keep cool even when you are lost and run out of water); and culturally (learn about the indigenous Maori). “It felt almost as if we’d become a family in that short two weeks,” Peck told program leaders after the trek. “Everybody was on each other’s team and wanted each other to be successful.”

College part of new sustainability Web site

September 2nd, 2009

Human Ecology faculty are among the leaders on a new Web site that elaborates on efforts across campus to make K-State more sustainable.

The K-State Sustainability web site includes directories, courses, research and projects, ways for people to get involved, and a news blog.

Among the listings are:

• Research in the Department of Apparel, Textiles and Interior Design by Sherry Haar, associate professor, and graduate students Cosette Armstrong and Aditi Shukla.
• Work of Tonatiuh Melgarejo, assistant professor in the Department of Human Nutrition.

“This Web site can help connect people for interdisciplinary research projects, service learning projects and more. For instance, if instructors are wanting to develop class projects, they could tie in with ongoing sustainability efforts by our facilities department,” said Ben Champion, K-State’s director of sustainability.

“What we really want to do is work with other sustainability professionals throughout Kansas,” he said. “We want it to be about the needs of Kansas, not just K-State. This is a way that K-State can provide leadership in sustainability. We can help create a statewide network for sustainability throughout higher education in Kansas.”

Media mentions: Doll, ‘08 grad Luhrs

September 1st, 2009

Gayle Doll in Salina Journal

In a story headlined “Age-old questions about longevity,” The Salina Journal Sunday explored the topic of longevity featuring 104-year-old Anna Winslow. Gayle Doll was the only expert interviewed.

Reporter Gary Demuth wrote, “And there’s the conundrum — while no one wants to die, no one wants to live forever if it means a diminished lifestyle and watching those you love die, said Gayle Doll, director of the Kansas State University Center on Aging, which researches and educates in the fields of gerontology and aging. ‘I’ve been around a lot of older people, and I have yet to meet one who wanted to live another 50 years,’ she said.”

Graduate Lauren Luhrs in the KC Star

The Kansas City Star published a Q&A with ’08 graduate Lauren Luhrs in the “How I got the job” feature this weekend. Luhrs is a market distribution analyst with Payless Shoes in Topeka.

How did she get her job? She credits a K-State job fair, a sorority contact and an internship the summer between her junior and senior years of college at Lands’ End in Dodgeville, Wis.  She worked in global sourcing. “That gave me great expertise in product development,” she told the newspaper.

Luhrs graduated with a degree in human ecology and mass communications specializing in apparel marketing and public relations, with a minor in business and leadership studies. She gave the 2008 student commencement address and was one of the college’s Outstanding Seniors.

Students nosh on nachos to celebrate new school year

August 28th, 2009

Sophia Dongilli and Annie McBee

The food was spicy. The noise level was boisterous. The traffic was heavy. Hundreds of new and returning students lined up for free food and door prizes, joining college faculty and staff to celebrate the first week of school with a Nacho Fiesta Thursday. The event in Justin Hall’s Hoffman Lounge was part of Welcome Week at K-State.

Kelsha Donnell

Garrett Whollery

Amy Calderwood

For more, view the “Nacho Fiesta! 2009” photo set on Flickr.