Students celebrate the 70th anniversary of the undergraduate program of the Department of Food Science at SEBS. Photo credit: OPOC.
Hundreds of Rutgers–New Brunswick students gathered on the George H. Cook Campus to enjoy free food, live music and prizes at an event celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Food Science undergraduate program at the School of Environmental ad Biological Sciences (SEBS).
Held on April 11, the event was jointly coordinated by the Food Science Club and Rutgers Cheese Club.
Cheese mongers Max Lazary and Jake Heller run a cheese business in Philadelphia called Downtown Cheese. Photo credit: OPOC.
Cheese mongers Max Lazary and Jake Heller hosted a table with a giant wheel of parmesan while sharing insightful information about cheese making. They run a cheese business in Philadelphia called Downtown Cheese.
“Being here helps to demystify the cheese making process for students. Whether they are a food science major or not, we’re showing these students in a hands-on and accessible way how intricate of a process it is to make cheese which encourages an appreciation for the people who work in our industry,” said Lazary.
In addition to snacks and catered side dishes, attendees were treated to culinary delights from three distinct food trucks. Green Dog-Mobile had lines that stretched down Lipman Drive as they served up seafood specialties. Co-owner and chef Marsha Arrington had students laughing with her creative spin on seafood sandwiches by explaining, “Our lobster is served on hotdog buns, because that’s how we roll.” She shared that this event is special to be a part of as a small business owner and native to Piscataway, NJ, because the Food Science Club and Cheese Club board members decided to support local businesses like hers.
President of the Food Science Club Renee Procaccini and Chair of the Department of Food Science, Distinguished Professor Donald Schaffner, and mascots. Photo credit: OPOC.
Despite the cold temperatures and pouring rain, Rutgers students celebrated throughout the entire evening. Some won raffle prizes, others danced with cheese hats to the live band Heat Monger, while others took to the inflatable bounce house to burn through energy from the food options offered.
President of the Cheese Club, Lia Vaynshteyn, shared, “Club meetings are great, but it’s events like these that bring people together as one Rutgers community. If anything, everyone enjoying themselves despite the weather really proves the point that whether rain or shine, people love cheese!”
President of the Food Science Club, Renee Procaccini, shared, “Food Science is such a small major, but this celebration makes me very appreciative that we make an impact in the world and at SEBS. I’m truly grateful for my E-Board for managing this event as a team.”
