The Seton Hill University (SHU) Dietetics club traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the American Dietetic Association National Food and Nutrition Conference and Exhibition (FNCE).
“There was a huge expo at the event with over a 1,000 booths of various companies, everything from the pork council, to Mead Johnson products, and even kasha,” said Bay Zapola, a senior and Dietetics club vice president.
By Chelsea Cooper
Contributor
The Seton Hill University (SHU) Dietetics club traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the American Dietetic Association National Food and Nutrition Conference and Exhibition (FNCE).
“There was a huge expo at the event with over a 1,000 booths of various companies, everything from the pork council, to Mead Johnson products, and even kasha,” said Bay Zapola, a senior and dietetics club vice president.
The FNCE began Saturday, September 29. The dietetics club left early Saturday for the conference. The conference concluded on Tuesday, October 2.
The club, consisting of 13 student dietetics majors and two advisors, stayed at the Sheraton Philadelphia City Center.
“My favorite event was the Expo. There were so many companies represented and you could find out so much information. I gathered a ton of helpful handouts and got a lot of free samples,” said Siena Frank, a junior and dietetics club president.
Zapola was most interested in the autism spectrum disorders and the Medical Nutrition Therapy talk. She said the speakers and information were both informative and engaging.
The purpose of the trip was to learn more about the dietetics major, but each individual student had their own specific purpose for going.
Frank wanted to go to a conference with thousands of professional dietitians. Olivia Weinzierl, a sophmore and the dietetics club treasurer went on the trip to learn about new and upcoming trends in nutrition and to network with future prospective employers.
Each of the students took something different away from their FNCE trip experience. Frank got to personalize her learning experience by meeting with a lot of nutrition entrepreneurs. She said being a nutrition entrepreneur is the avenue she wants to take with her dietetics degree.
“I definitely came away with a broader idea of what all the field of dietetics truly encompasses and the path dietetics is headed in for the future,” said Weinzierl.
There were 15-20 sessions scheduled throughout each day on various topics. Students could choose up to four sessions each day.
“The students attended education sessions presented by nationally known speakers, viewed the extensive exhibit hall and networked with Seton Hill alumni in attendance,” said Janice Sandrick, program director of the SHU coordinated program in nutrition/dietetics.
The dietetics club stated planning for the FNCE trip in April 2007. The club held a few fundraisers in order to help defray the cost of the trip. The students had a Pampered Chef fundraiser and held a take-out dinner. The take-out dinner was held in conjunction with one of the junior food service classes.
“The club received a generous donation from SHGA to help with the students’ expenses,” said Sandrick.