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Hi everyone! I joined the class late, sorry for the late response. I am a senior. I will be graduating Spring of 23. My major is Geography with a Minor in Family and Consumer Science and a Concentration in Environmental Geography. Food is my first love however I like my weekends and holidays. In hospitality, you work a lot of weekends and holidays. I went to San Jac for culinary. After finishing my AAS for a chef, I went back for my AAS Small Business Management. The only class I couldn't pass was intro to computerized accounting. Therefore I am one credit shy of my second associates. A few years later I decided to go for my Bachelor's in Food Service Management, but as i was completing the program at SHSU I learned that higher education does not always equal more pay, less hours. A lot of the people I came across pulled 60+ hour weeks easily. I have a family. I want to make more money AND spend time with my family. That discovery is what lead me to my second passion, the environment. Before I switched to culinary, I was obsessed with meteorology. Turns out, meteorology along with most earth sciences, contain a lot of calculus and physics. Geography gets my foot in the door with earth science without all the math.

I haven't looked too much into where food comes from or how it is produced. I do know it takes a lot of water, energy and resources to keep up with the growing demand. I have seen videos on the treatment of animals. A lot of animals live in poor conditions. They also have tumors and infections as a result of the antibiotics needed for the feed they are given. I try to reduce my meat and dairy consumption. If fish and seafood weren't so expensive, I'd be pescatarian.

My picture is of me standing in the bakery with my festively hideous Christmas sweater. If you look below my arm, you will see that I was mass producing Tres Leches. I work for Kroger as a cake decorator. I have pictures of food and cakes all throughout my phone. However, none have me in them. This was the only one on my phone. Well this and me nursing my youngest. Although it is technically food, and I am not exposed, I figured of the two, this was the better picture!

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Hi ! My name is Crystal I am a History Major at SHSU. I work in Custom Home sales, I have 2 Dogs & I have a tiktok page where I post videos of what I cook. I like to think that I have a good understanding of where my food comes from & its life before I consume it. I try to get most of my Meat & produce from Local Farmers, Anything that I can't get from them I purchase from the super market. I think that everyone should have access to quality fresh ingredients.

The attached picture is of my Tiktok page where I post what I cook.

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Hello, I like to go by the name Nate. I am currently a Junior at SHSU majoring in sociology with a minor in communication studies. I honestly don’t really know much about food, but I do like to watch how many calories I consume occasionally. I took culinary courses when I was in middle school and I thought it was extremely fun to learn how to cook at a young age! Since then I have worked at many restaurants and somewhat have learned to enjoy cooking! I have not really thought about food/produce before it arrives, something for me to think about!

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Hey,
My name is Maggie. I am a senior at Sam Houston State University pursing a Victim Studies degree. I currently work as a Mental Health Tech but long term goal is to be a trauma counselor. Food has always been a huge part of my family. We always felt that food can bring people together from all walks of life. Much of my childhood was also spent in the kitchen. Cooking with my mom was were I learned how to do math, problem solve, follow instructions, etc. when I was younger. I've attached a picture from when I made hamantaschen for Purim. Purim is a Jewish holiday largely about food and sharing so I made these to give to my coworkers. As you can see in the picture some of them turned out better than others. :)

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Hi,
My name is Jenna Hocutt. I am a junior at Sam Houston State University. I am double majoring in Psychology and Sociology. after graduating I plan to work for the Child Protective Services while continuing my education with a major in criminal justice. Once I have completed the Criminal Justice major; my goal is to start my career as a Forensic Psychologist for the Juvenile Justice system. I've chosen a picture of me with the meal I cooked for lunch today. I understand that food plays a vital role in our health. Each time I go out to eat at a restaurant I have to check the meals ingredients due to dietary restrictions. I often have to think about the life or process of which the food goes through before before my consumption due to these restrictions. I typically find it easier to make my meals at home other than the occasional French fry from a fast food restaurant. I'm excited to become more knowledgeable about how food impacts our everyday lives throughout this course.

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My name is Shakendra I am a senior and my major is sociology and I’m minoring in criminal justice. My understanding of food is that the types of food we eat on a day to day come from all types of places such as the ground which is from plants,animals which would be like our beef and chicken and steaks. I know that in order for us to be able to go into the store to purchase these different things to provide food for ourself there is a chain of command that is used. Without there being able to be agricultural things going on in the world we would not be able to have a lot of things we have. Without farmers and wear house workers we wouldn’t be able to just go into the store and purchase eggs or packs of meat or bread it would be literally impossible. I sometimes thing about the food that i consume before receiving them at different places because you know it’s never to bad to learn the history of something you are consuming in your body.

So for the food I’m going to share here I was making one of my favorite meals which is Cajun pasta. If I had to choose a meal for dinner i would choose different types of pasta or tacos. Those are my favorites out of everything to cook.

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Zachary Hughes

SOCI  3335

August 24, 2022

Introduction Discussion

My name is Zac Hughes and I am a junior at Sam Houston State University, majoring in Integrated Studies with minors in Human Services, Sociology and Criminal Justice.  I was born and raised 30 minutes south of Huntsville in The Woodlands, Texas with both of my parents and a younger brother and have always had a desire to help others.
. Attached is a photo of one of my favorite foods chicken nuggets From Chick fill a. Chicken Nuggets wit Chick Fill a sauce and Waffle fries really hits the spot. My knowledge of food is somewhat limited in that I know what is healthy and unhealthy but not much more than that.  I took a nutrition class in high school that gave me some understanding on how to eat healthy but am eager to learn even more about foods and how they affect our lives.   Before I took that class, I never really thought about what happens to food before it shows up on the supermarket shelf or in a restaurant. I am looking forward to learning more about where food comes from and the role it plays in our lives in this class.

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Hello, My name is Kiana Mejia and I'm a Junior.  I am majoring in Integrated studies with minors in Criminal Justice, Business, and Film History. I have the understanding that much food we consume nowadays is made to negatively affect our bodies and push us to consume more for the benefit of spending more money. Diets have changed tremendously in the past few decades and it's sad where we are now as a community with the type of food we eat and how much we consume. I have recently become more conscious about the life of food before we receive it and the horrible condition it grows in.

The picture is of a 14" pancake at a restaurant in Branson, Missouri. I did not eat it all in one sitting but it was very delicious!

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Hi,
My name is Kristina. I am a Senior at Sam Houston State University with a major in Sociology and minor in Human Services. After graduation, I plan on attending Sam Houston for a Masters degree in counseling. The mental health field is of high importance with still so much more to learn.
My understanding of our food sources, without research or expertise on this subject, is that we rely heavily on processed foods more than organically grown options which is not healthy long term. I believe society has become very dependent on instant gratification and fulfilment rather than eating what our bodies needs to live a healthy balanced life. Another issue is the cost and availability of processed compared to organic options. While we are living in a fast functioning society, we develop short cuts to make our daily lives easier. The basic bullet points explained above leads me to believe our food production process could improve dramatically for the sake of our physical and mental health.

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Hi! My name is Ashley. I am majoring in sociology with a minor in communication studies. This will be my junior year in college. I don’t have the degree of knowledge about food and all of its effects on the body like I’d want. But, I do have a pretty simple understanding that certain foods are not so great for the body. The food that I really love tastes amazing but it’s not amazing for the body unfortunately. I know that a lot do people say to stay away from processed foods and foods that are GMO. I try my best to avoid greasy and fried foods and make sure my vegetable and fruit intake are more frequent. I haven’t thought too much about the life of food before it arrives at the supermarket or restaurant. I do think about how it is prepared once it reaches particular supermarkets/restaurants because I have seen some not so great things behind the scenes. I look forward to learning more about the history of food and all of the effects it has on the body, and with that knowledge I can make healthier and conscious food choices.

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Hi there!
My name is Essha (ee-shuh). This is my second semester at SHSU. I am a senior. My major is sociology with a minor in psychology like some of you here :)

I have dealt with G.I issues ever since I was 15 years old. I became pretty conscious about my diet since then. I'm not proud of it, but I've done a lot of fad dieting to just get the body I wanted while developing a poor relationship with food.

However I have  gotten better over time and hope to understand the food that we eat and its impact on different societies through this class.

I really enjoy home cooked food. This is a traditional dish we eat in my family. It is called Biryani, basically spicy rice and chicken (or any meat of your choice). A dish I am almost always in the mood for

Good luck to everyone in this class

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Hello everyone! My name is Farida. My major is in Psychology and my minor being that of Sociology. I am from Houston, however, originally grew up in Philippines and California. As a person who loves to cook, bake, and eat other delectable food creations, I feel like I have some understanding about food.
From an early age, I had a clear understanding of where my foods came from. My parents used to own a slaughterhouse where we raised chickens, then later slaughtered them and sold the meat to vendors. Although, I recall there were some emotional moments built with these chick babies. I knew these chickens were not meant to be pets, but a sustenance for my family to survive. They provided us with the means to live by supplying us with money, shelter, and a constant supply of food on our table everyday. I will always have a great appreciation towards the food I have on my plate; there is so much care and value that goes into a single produce.
I am looking forward to learning more about this class and I am wishing everyone a great start towards this semester!

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Hi everyone! My name is Jenna Massey (i’m on the right) I am currently a senior here and this is my last semester at Sam! I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of food because my family owns a farm in Brenham, TX. We are fully sustainable by ourselves there and let all of our neighbors come by to pick whatever produce we are currently growing. This past year i’ve learned a lot from my stepdad about how processed most foods are and have tried to eat healthier. Since having the farm I have been able to think about the life of food before it hits my plate, we have even been working on trying to get our produce in restaurants. Currently my family sells at a local farmers market about once a month. I am super excited about this class and to learn more about the sociology of food and society!

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Hello! I am Alexandra majoring in Sociology with a minor in Human Services. After I graduate, I plan on getting my masters in School Counseling so I can be a School Counselor for a middle school. This picture is of me with my favorite: Chipotle. I have been on the Chipotle train for a while now and can never get tired of it. A carnitas bowl with chips always hits the spot. I haven't really taken the time to think about food outside from "I'm hungry" or "what am I going to eat." If I think about where it comes from, I get grossed out and lose my appetite. My mom always tells me she's surprised I am not a vegetarian because of how grossed out I get. But, I don't think being a vegetarian is a good fit for me because I love dairy and poultry. Hopefully this class gives me better insight into where our food comes from and the negatives plus positives. Good luck everybody!

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Hello! My name is Landri. I am majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. I actually went to culinary school so when i think of food I think of Art, making people happy. I think of what's healthy and what's not so healthy. I think of the things that are added to the food and is it better to grow our own food or continue to processed food. I think before modern day food was more healthy because everybody farmed and grew their own foods and hunted.

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Hi, my name is Timothy I'm majoring in sociology. I'm from Milwaukee Wisconsin but I currently live in Houston Texas. In terms of my knowledge of food, I am aware of what is healthy and what is not. Also, I took a nutrition class my sophomore year. It is clear to me what some of the things on the back of the packaging mean. I've always thought about the life of the food before its arrival. For example, what was used to make the food or are they keeping everything clean? How something is made always interests me, like how they make some of the snacks we eat. Concerning the animals we consume, what they do is most important to me. Also, the tomato in my picture was going to the trash I cut it wrong and I was 19 in that picture.

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Hello! My name is Reilly. I am majoring in criminal justice with a minor in sociology. I have a very basic understanding of food. I have read books about nutrition, the impact of GMOs, and the importance of local farmers' markets as well as watched documentaries on the origin of some of our more unsightly food products, but that is as far as my knowledge goes. I am not the best cook, but I do try my best to always have a home-cooked dinner. Being a picky eater, however, often throws a wrench in my plans. I do like to bake though - regardless of how bad I am at it! The mindless stirring and icing calm me when I am stressed. I have thought about food before I buy it including how it was processed and prepared before it reaches me, but I often have to overlook that in favor of price-conscious decisions and time-saving options.

I attached a picture of me with something I cooked! My brother’s favorite food is fried cheese sticks, so I made some for us as well as a side of homemade ranch. It turned out better than anything I have had in a restaurant! For my family, cooking and meal times are very important. Often my entire extended family comes together for meals. Everyone brings their favorite foods and we make cultural dishes together and celebrate being together.

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Hello all! My name is Daijeri Contreras. I am a junior this year. I am majoring in psychology with a minor in sociology. My family (husband and 6 kiddos) and I live in a rural area outside of College Station. Our home is near many farms and fields so we get to watch a variety of large scale crops grow and be harvested. In addition, we have maintained a variety of food gardens over the past few years. We have been a part of local co-ops for our produce supply and try to make it a point to eat seasonally and to incorporate local produce. However, like most people, we also shop in grocery stores and eat occasional fast food, so we have the same disconnect to our food supply in that way.  I have been vegan and vegetarian on and off, though I have found it hard to meet my nutritional requirements while pregnant and breastfeeding, so I am not currently either.
In the photo, I am enjoying my favorite ice cream from a chain near my hometown. Every time I travel to the area, I have to stop in for my favorite flavor!

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Hello everyone! Hope all are blessed and healthy! My name is Oreanna Harleston. I am a Sociology major and a Political Science minor. I am currently in my semester year as a senior, and could not be more excited.
Something interesting about me is outside of being a full time student I am also a mommy to a beautiful little boy. He is my reason and my motivation in life. People will normally look at me and not expect me to be mother. I assume because I look very young.
My understanding of food is based on growing up and coming from a hispanic family majority of our parties are surronded by food. My family always says the food taste good but we know its bad for us. Right now I know that the food we like to eat (snacks, fast food, sweets, etc.) is not healthy for us but the food we dont like to eat is the most healthiest.
I never thought about where my food comes while im eating it. Now thinking about it if I knew where my food came from I would be alot more resilent to eating the food.

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Hi,
My name is Genesis Garcia and I am majoring in integrated studies with minors in interior design, Spanish and philosophy. God willing and this will be my last semester because I plan on graduating this fall. I didn't  know much about food other than if it tastes good then it must be good. All that changed two years ago when my grandfather got diagnosed with cancer and I had to make sure he was following a nutrisous diet. He would sneak in salt on his food when we weren't looking because he expressed that eating healthy was tasteless. He lost the battle with cancer in 2020 and ever since then I have fallen out on eating healthy. I must admit that gaining weight has inspired me to get back on track to not only look better but also to feel better. I have picked on gardening, mostly influenced by social media, they make it look super easy. For I only have cilantro and tomatoes growing.

I hope I gain a better knowledge on food in this class.
Best wishes!

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Hi everyone. My name is Jackie and I am a Junior at Sam. I’m majoring in Communications (out of convenience), however I really love sociology! I’m very excited to be taking this class. I’ve never been a big “meat eater” and actually spent 2 years as a vegetarian right before this picture was taken. Funny enough I was a few weeks pregnant with my 2nd baby when this picture was taken and I craved meat so bad that I had just started eating it again.

I found out during this assignment that I take a lot of pictures of my food but I really don’t have many pictures of me with food, other than a small few or birthday pictures. Also, the pancakes were served family style here. (I did not eat a plate full of pancakes.)

I often do think about the life of food before consuming it. All of my grandparents grew up on farms where they raised animals for food and grew fruits or vegetables. I think how weird it must have been for them transitioning from that to shopping in a grocery store. I wonder about things like what kind of pesticides were used on the food I eat and how food can be preserved for so long. I wonder what specific effects that has on our health, etc.

I recently bought some pre-made chicken salad sandwiches from Brookshire Brothers, and when I was looking at the nutrition label I noticed it was made out of genetically modified meat. I don’t know exactly what that entails, but it upset me and I ended up throwing the whole package away without eating it.

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Hello! My name is Brittany Bratley. I am a junior majoring in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. My overall goal is to become a clinical Social Worker. I do social media advertising and sales while being a mom to a 7 year old boy. My schedule is hectic and I have not always had the best relationship with food until recently. I lost 70 pounds while trying to set a better example for my boy. I grew up on fast food with two hard working parents. I do see how this translated to my adulthood but my relationship with food is so much better. The process of food before it hits the market has not been explored yet. I think I have done that purposely, but it is time to absorb more knowledge. I am so excited to learn more! I wish everyone the best this semester.

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Hello! My name is Claire. I am majoring in Integrated Studies (Communications, Psychology, and Sociology). I am also a full-time wedding coordinator and designer. Right now, I know how much food impacts the quality of life. During COVID, I faced an intensive health issue time and time again that was almost entirely infected by my diet and exercise. I now know the importance of treating my body like a temple! I am a bit of a hypochondriac so, I am ALWAYS thinking about the quality of my food and who has touched or breathed on it prior to me. I think I do this because my least favorite thing or maybe even my fear is being/feeling ill so, I really try to avoid this at all costs when possible.

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Hi! My name is Olivia Faust and I am majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. This is my Senior year and I am so excited! I understand that portion control as well as what you eat are very important. I definitely have thought about the process that food has to go through before you eat it at a restaurant. The food you cook at home usually does not taste the same as it would at McDonald's or any other fast food place. Knowing this it has made me more curious about what different processes food goes through. Attached is a picture of me at Schlotzsky's with my favorite sandwich, the Turkey Avocado.

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Hi,
I’m Chansonique! I am a senior majoring in psychology with a minor in sociology! I’m not exactly sure which career path I want to take but it’s either gonna be in social working or some thing in the medical field. Thinking about going back to finish my nursing degree. I know a little background about food but not as much as I should. I am a diabetic so having to take nutritional classes kind of helped me understand a little bit about food. I have recently started thinking about how food is made. Having a four month old baby and all the recalls that are going on baby formula and baby food have me wondering. It’s also making me want to start a garden and start growing my own foods. It’s kind of scary not knowing what you are actually consuming.

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Hello, my name is Lydia Williams. I am a junior here, but I just transferred after getting my Associates at a community college. I'm going to major in sociology and minor in theater. Growing up my parents emphasized healthy eating so I know some about food, where it comes from and how much it's been modified. I find it really interesting how some people will go on and on about the health benefits of certain types of food while other people will go on and on about how the exact same thing is unhealthy. However, I do think that no matter who you ask, they promote vegetables. Everything else from wheat to dairy to meat is greatly debated. This is a picture of me the first time I tried solid food. I hated it. We discovered later that I am very sensitive to certain textures and the type of solids I started on had the same texture that even now I have a hard hard time eating. I can't wait to learn more about the sociology of food, it seems fascinating!

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I am Maki Hatanaka, the instructor of this class. I am a sociologist specializing in food and agriculture. In addition to this class, I also teach classes on social change and development and introductory classes. I grew up in Japan and the United States – Ohio, Michigan, and Utah – and worked in a civil society organization in Jakarta, Indonesia prior to becoming a professor. I love eating good food (well, who doesn’t?) and doing outdoorsy activities, including hiking, kayaking, white water rafting, etc. I am looking forward to teaching this food class! Looking at the food system through a sociological lens enables you to think critically about the food you eat. This might make you feel uncomfortable (so I was told by many of my previous students). However, I believe “feeling uncomfortable” is an important starting point to reflect on your food practices! So be ready! I chose a picture of me about to dig into fried fish. Yum. I am looking forward to a stimulative class!

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Hello everyone! My name is Jamie Reil and I am senior at Sam Houston. I am majoring in criminal justice and should be graduating in December! After reading some of the course information, it has me kind of assuming that I might not have a real understanding of food. I understand what foods might be healthy and the ones that aren't. I meal prep for 4 days of the week so that has taught me correct portion sizes and what is okay for me to eat. This is about all I know about the topic of food. In this picture, I am eating at a local ramen bar in my town which is also one of my favorite places to eat at. I have never really considered what food was like before it came to restaurants and markets. In America, we have access to a variety of different kinds of foods to try which is why I think I have not really thought about the history of the food. I am excited for all of the courses content and the knowledge I will gain this semester! I look forward to meeting all of you.

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Hello! My name is Guenevere Mabilin (you can call me Guen). I am a senior who majors in Sociology and minors in Political Science. I just recently started applying to graduate schools for Fall 2023 – I want to pursue a Master’s degree in Social Work with a specialization in clinical practice. I was born in the Philippines and immigrated in the United States when I was a teenager. When I am not studying or working, I can be found camping at different state parks in Texas with my husband and two pugs – Jabba D Pug and Boba Fett.

Growing up in the Philippines, I like to think that I have a little bit of understanding of food. We had to raise chickens and slaughter them for food (I helped my father chase the chicken and prepare it) and grow some of our own vegetables in our community garden. Growing up poor in a third world country, we were taught the importance of food and how to value every little drop of water and meat or vegetable. Thinking about the life cycle of food before consumption helps me gain a better understanding and appreciate for food.

I’ve attached a picture of me getting pan dulce from my favorite bakery in California. I am looking forward to an amazing semester with you all!