4/29 Class

Today we discussed our handouts. The actual handouts were very eye-catching and interesting to look at. I'm not exactly sure what else to discuss about class... Our group talked today about our plans for our project. Since it is going to be really hard to get a meeting together with both Dr. Holben and Ashley Z., we decided that for Thursday's mini presentation we would discuss our outline with the class, then work on developing our needs assessment. Just because we aren't able to develop our handout yet doesn;t mean the needs assessment can't be completed.

On another note- in an attempt to get a few points back from last week's speaker blogs, here are the required notes:
Tuesday
Kay Mavko
Ohio Board of Dietetics
Executive director
Funding source: state government
Mission Statement:
"The mission of the Ohio Board of Dietetics is to effectively protect the public by regulating the practice of dietetics through licensure, and by fairly and consistently enforcing the laws and rules governing nutritional practices."
Accomplish these goals by:
Establishing standards of professional responsibility and practice for Ohio dietitians, issuing licenses and permits, investigating complaints, CEUs, and administering a licensure exam, in addition to other duties.
Agency Type: State (Govt) Agency
Planning/ Monitoring/ Conducting: 5 board members (3 dietitians, PhD educator, 1 public member) meet to discuss complaints, policies, etc. Board renews on semiannual basis to ensure changes
Role of the Nutrition Professional: in Ohio, an RD must also be licensed to practice. If the RD steps outside his.her boundaries,the Board will review the case and determine the best course of action.

Thursday
Name: Jody Shriver, Director Athens/Perry Co. WIC
Agency: Women Infants and Children Special Supplemental Food Program
Type of Program: nutrition education program that provides nutritious foods to promote good health for pregnant women, breastfeeding, and moms/ infants/ kids up to age 5
Funding: USDA; entirely through grants (since early 1970's)
Purpose and Mission: to provide nutrition education, breastfeeding ed and support, health care screenings and referrals, immunization screenings, and supplemental foods such as milk-cereal-eggs-pb-tuna/carrots-formula-beans, as well as provide coupons to purchase healthy foods at local grocery stores.
Planning/ Monitoring/ Conducting: Legislation is found in the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Evaluated by the USDA. May offer few internships; as grant-operated, dont have a lot of money for employees
Role of Nutrition Professional: a non-RD with complete education can work for the program. They offer nutrition advice, referrals, etc. so a nutrition background is very favorable. Many programs do not have an RD on staff due to lack on interest, but will hire one if available.

4/24 Class

Class today began with Jody Schriver from the Athens County WIC program. I'm not a dietetics major, and I never really looked into the program, other than what I already knew. I thought it consisted of yellow vouchers that moms could take to produce stands to feed their children healthier foods. I realized that its more than that; the program requires 3 month health screens, referrals, classes, and several other options to assist the participants in leading healthier lives. Additionally, the women have more stringent qualification guidelines than do those applying for welfare; they must also have children. The program appears to be a very useful and much relied on commodity in most communities.
Following Jody's lecture, we watched a video clip that covered a man dying of pancreatic cancer's talk on Oprah. The video truly touched home for me; a neighbor and family friend recently passed away from a long and brave battle with the disease, leaving behind three young children. Its awful to know that his youngest son probably will not remember his dad, and his oldest and only daughter was a true "Daddy's Girl." I can't imagine what it would be like to lose my dad; my entire family is incredibly close and it would be absolutely devestating. And I just don't know if I would have that same positiv attitude he had if I were going to die long before I should.

4/22 Class

Today was a whirlwind in the life of Melissa. I flew to Pittsburgh from Boston Monday night after running the Boston Marathon earlier that day, stayed with a friend overnight (there was no way I would've been able to drive back). Then I woke up at 7 am (definitely not enough sleep!) to make the 3.5 hours drive back to Athens from Pitt, and got in just in time to make it to class. Phew!
Kay Mavko, from the Ohio Board of Dietetics, spoke to the class on topics pertaining to state licensure and policies within Ohio. Apparently, although I'm a certified and licensed health professional (well, soon to be licensed), I cannot practice any form of nutrition whatsoever, since she told me that athletic trainers are "in the same realm as personal trainers as far as education on nutrition topics." I tend to disagree, and will have to find out more information once I graduate with my masters degree; I'd like to find out if this degree will be worth anything unless I get my RD. Other than that little sidenote, her talk was very informative, and I;m sure the dietetics majors got a lot of useful info from Kay. A very nice lady with a lot of responsibility and experience.

4/17 Class

So today in class, we briefly discussed Tuesday's video (see previous post for details). We took notes on food security for the remainder of class. I can;t fathom the 12.6 million households that are food insecure, at least moderatly. I have never, ever worried about where my next meal will come from. I'm spending $400 this weekend, just to run the Boston Marathon! And there are children in the next city who have to get their backpack filled with food tomorrow afternoon, just so they will be ale to eat through the weekend. I feel guilty. I also wonder, though, about some parents. And I don't want the following to be taken the wrong way. My grandpa was an auto mechanic for 40 years and my grandma worked as a secretary; my dad did not go to college. He was in trade school for a semester after high school, then went to Mexico and drove a bus for 6 months before coming back to Cleveland. Then he worked his butt off, learning accounting, starting at the ground level of a real estate rental company. My dad worked his way through the ranks in his 26 years at the company; and he was one of the top-paid employees, working with MBA's and the like. It may be that he had people on his side, rooting for him, but I believe his sweat and blood (figure of speech) were a huge component how he got to be where he is today. And so I wonder how many people living in poverty are still in poverty because there are no other options, or is it because they simply do not realize their potential in life?
Just something I've been thinking about this quarter.

4/15 Class

We watched a 60 Minutes clip in class entitled Waiting in the Food Line. The story addressed a food line in Marietta, Ohio, near the Thanksgiving holiday. When the clip was over, Dr. Holben asked the class to share their views. No one spoke. My take...
The story, which portrayed several families and couples, showed us that people waiting for food aren't necessarily the typical welfare-supported individuals- most often, one wouldn't be able to pick them out of a crowd. Many times, its people in between jobs, or those who have a few extra expenses that month and the food supply in the pantry wore out before the paycheck came. One family was supported by the father, working full time at $7.50/ hour, trying to support a wife and four children. To make the payments each month and feed the family, the oldest son and his parents volunteered their services at their church, cleaning and repairing, for $65 per week- something they came to depend on. That family touched me more than the rest of the stories. It made me feel guilty and disappointed in myself that I spend so much money on groceries each week, for just myself! I couldn't believe that while they are struggling to buy food, I just swipe my debit card without another thought. Although this year I've learned to conserve money more, I still spend more than I should on things that aren't necessary. And while my parents no longer pay for my education, they did support me through 4 years at a private liberal arts college (although I had a 1/2 tuition scholarship, it still wasn't cheap).
The video made me realize yet again how lucky I am, and how I take so much for granted. I have every opportunity possible, and I don't always realize that. Perhaps now I will finally realize this, and make the most of it.

Here is the link to the clip:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/08/60II/main535732.shtml?source=search_story

4/10 Class

Today, we discussed health policies and nutrition. we took notes regarding topics like the National Nutrition Policy, which envelops food labels, dietary guidelines, food assistance programs, food safety concerns, and related issues; as well as how to put legislation into action and the formation of a bill into a law. We went old-school and watched part of SchoolHouse Rock, which I used to watch when I was in elementary school ("conjunction junction, whats your function?" Haha, excellent. We were also assigned our agencies; I'm working on a handout for Fruit and Veggies More Matters. This is fantastic; hopefully I can incorporate some of what I learn into my thesis, or at least our summer program.

4/8 Class

Dr. Holben was at a meeting today, so the groups met to discuss the community projects. My group, which consists of 4 other students, is Group 1 and will be working together (though somewhat minimally) with Group 2 to create a handout for the Kids on Campus Gardening program. We will also be conducting a needs assessment of the group. We attempted to brainstorm handout ideas, but without knowing what the true goals of this program will be during summer 2008, and without Ashley or Dr. Holben there to give us a heads up, we couldn't accomplish too much. We're planning to sit down with Dr. Holben on Thursday to get some feedback, then meet as a group following class and begin our project.

4/3 Class

Today in class we covered an overview of nutrition assessments. Class was mainly lecture; however, we also discussed the two quarter projects. I was assigned to Group 1 of the Kids on Campus group, which was my first (and second) choice. Pretty pumped; this will tie in nicely with TAKE ACTION, the program I will be headlining for my GA and as part of my thesis this summer. We also discussed the agency project; I have to decide which of the options I would most like to work with. I'm thinking I will probably pick the ones closely associated with my thesis; that way, I can simultaneously work on the 529 project while also checking out what Athens has to offer for my participants. For Tuesday, we a few articles to read over, as well as have our groups meet to begin to discuss our projects.

4/1 Class

Today was the first day of class! We primarily reviewed the syllabus, discussing due dates and project options. Dr. Holben also asked each class member to describe his or her goals for the quarter, including how he can help accomplish them. The class ended with an ice breaker, as we have a mix of juniors, seniors, and grad students who may not know each other.