A few weeks ago some members of the college newspaper staff went to a journalism conference at Columbia University. The conference was primarily about writing but also included topics such as design, photography, website creation, social media and marketing.

Three of the sessions I attended were with multimedia, travel and food journalist, Lauren Mack. She is a very talented and knowledgeable individual who writes about food for a living. It was fascinating to learn about food writing from the perspective of someone who has an education in journalism, not culinary.

At the end of my first session with her I decided to go up and talk to her. As a student studying culinary and as a person with food allergies, my role was very different from the others in the session. Most of the other students at the conference are studying journalism, not food.

While talking to Lauren Mack I realized that somehow studying food and also writing about food are two different sides of one world many people do not get to experience. As a culinary student I have gained an understanding of how the restaurant world works and how it really does not make complete sense until someone has had experience working within a kitchen. My adventures from almost the past year have been recorded in my writing because even with my concentration in culinary management, I have not let go of the passion I found with newspapers, yearbooks and websites during my high school career.

The ability to do what you love and communicate what you love to the world is truly a gift. I love sharing all my experiences and stories with all of you and cannot wait to see what the future holds. I encourage all of you to take the time to write each day and use it as a tool of communication. The impact of communication such as a simple greeting card, presentation or blog post can make someone's day not only more informational, but also just a little brighter.

To find more information on Lauren Mack, visit her website by clicking here.

#college #art #communication #food