Q&A with Anvay Sane, club president
What are the goals and missions of the Food Science Club?
Our mission is to educate, innovate and inspire students to explore the exciting world of food science while building lasting connections with peers and industry leaders.
When and where does the club meet?
Club meetings are held in 2379 Food Sciences Building, which is the Culinary Discovery Lab, every other Tuesday during the semester. Dinner is served from 5:30-6 p.m., and the meeting is from 6-7 p.m.
What opportunities does the club have for students to get involved? Leadership?
The Food Science Club offers plenty of opportunities for students to get involved. If you're interested, we encourage you to dive in – whether through attending meetings, philanthropy events, leadership roles, club trips, fundraisers or other opportunities! There are 11 positions on our executive team, which offer members the opportunity to be a part of decisions and planning that directly impact our club. We hold our elections each fall during the second-to-last meeting of the semester. For those who want to be involved but don’t want to commit to a leadership position, there are plenty of ways to get involved in the Food Science Club that makes it a special community. Club trips are one of the ways we build camaraderie between members while also allowing students to make professional connections. Additionally, we rely solely on member volunteers to help with our fudge-making and selling fundraiser, which requires a lot of hours of hard work and is another great opportunity to get involved in the club!
What are some club events, activities or fundraisers?
We do a variety of events through the club, ranging from career development and fundraisers to educational trips and philanthropy events. Our main fundraiser is the Valentine’s Day Fudge Sale, which takes place every February. We also go on tours as a club to food production facilities. The fall trip is usually a day trip. This past fall, we went to Mason City, Iowa, where we toured companies like Cargill, Kraft-Heinz, Smithfield and Bushel Boy. The spring trip takes place every other year during spring break, and we usually go a little further away from Iowa. For the upcoming trip, we will be going to Louisville, Kentucky, where we will tour companies like Ferrero, Dawn Foods, Bigelow Tea, Louisville Vegan Jerky Company and more. For philanthropy, we usually volunteer at various STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) Nights at elementary schools around Ames, where we demonstrate food-related science experiments to students to get them excited about a career in food science. We also put together and sell food science kits for kids to get the next generation excited 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 majors who are interested in food science and the food industry. Students need to pay dues 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 great combination of both educational and fun activities. In our club, we help students with career development through resume-building, networking opportunities with industry professionals, and talks from alums, graduate students and professors. The club has a ton of lighthearted activities like food brackets, cookie decorating, trivia nights and more.
What is the process of making fudge for the Valentine’s Day fundraiser? Who is involved?
During Fudge Week, we ask all club members to volunteer to make and sell fudge. Anyone who helps can earn club credit, which can go toward purchases like club trips or merchandise. Under the guidance of our Fudge co-chairs, Libby and Samika, and our advisor, Kate Gilbert, the club processes over 250 pounds of fudge in just three days. For our chocolate fudge, the process starts by melting butter with evaporated milk and sugar until it reaches 226 F. Then, we mix in chocolate, marshmallow creme and vanilla until the mixture is completely smooth. Once the fudge is ready, we package it in aluminum tins and add corresponding toppings. Each flavor has slight variations, but they all follow a similar base recipe. Fudge Week can be hectic, but it’s incredibly rewarding to see the positive reactions from those who order!
What does the fundraised money go toward?
The money earned from fudge can contribute to almost any expense the Food Science Club has. Parts of it go toward providing meals at our meetings, creating food science kits for kids, attending STEAM Nights and much more. The largest portion of it is used to fund club trips, which aim to connect our club members with industry professionals and help them explore different aspects of food science head-on.
Is there anything else you want to share about the Food Science Club?
The Food Science Club is a great place to meet new people if you’re interested in food. We’re a very friendly group of people and love to add members to our community!
Information compiled by Katrina Hageman