KON Newsletter Fall 2014

Kappa Omicron Nu F A L L

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: KON and Scholarship

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KON and Community

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KON Members’ research and internships

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Meet the Officers

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Message from the President: We may be small, but we are growing strong!

The Omicron Beta Epsilon chapter of Kappa Omicron Nu (KON) Human Sciences Honor Society has shown a dramatic improvement in their participation as an organization. With ambitious new leadership, KON has taken the initiative to make themselves known on campus.

This year KON has taken it to the next level by hosting various fundraisers and events.

First, a KON website was made in order to keep the public and members updated on all the exciting events to come. KON participated in Relay for Life to support the search for a cure for cancer, which raised $1,167. The honor society also attended the Victory for Victims Race to raise awareness and funds

for victims of abuse.

KON hosted our first ever fundraiser on CSUN campus on St. Patrick’s Day by selling green bagels and cream cheese. In addition, the club had an all day fundraiser at Chili’s on Reseda ,with a social hour for the new KON President, Jacqui Cooper, and KON initiates to meet the Secretary, Kimberly Tilley, at the Halclub members. Aweloween Campus Fundraiser. some graphic T-shirts were made for members to students about KON Honor show their pride and wear to Society. The new officers of events. T-shirts are currently KON have done an excellent being sold for $15. Amy job of implementing these Sadikoff, KON member and changes and making this orgraphic design major, deganization more innovative signed a multi-use banner for and inspiring. the club in order to bring -Jacqui Cooper, KON Presimore awareness to CSUN dent

What is KON? Being a part of KON means becoming actively involved in events on and off campus to promote KON objectives and in turn raise awareness of health issues within our communities. Last semester I participated in the Relay for Life on CSUN’s campus. Relay for

Life is an event where fundraisers are held to help communities worldwide fight against cancer. At the event I helped set up the camping tent, the booth, and answer nutrition related questions by playing a fun spin the wheel nutrition game with partici-

pants passing by. As volunteer members of KON, we also took shifts to camp out overnight in tents, took turns running or walking around the designated track, provided face painting, and offered healthy snacks to runners.

Being involved in Relay for

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What is KON? Being a part of KON means becoming actively involved in events on and off campus to promote KON objectives and in turn raise awareness of health issues within our communities. Last semester I participated in the Relay for Life on CSUN’s campus. Relay for Life is an event where fundraisers are held to help communities worldwide

“...to enhance quality of living through excellence in scholarship, leadership, and research.”

fight against cancer. At the event I helped set up the camping tent, the booth, and answer nutrition related questions by playing a fun spin the wheel nutrition game with participants passing by. As volunteer members of KON, we also took shifts to camp out overnight in tents, took turns running or walking around the designated track, provided face painting, and offered healthy snacks to runners. Being involved in

Relay for Life, as a Nutrition Graduate student, was not only a great way for me to help educate the community about nutrition facts, but it was also rewarding to participate in the awareness and fight against cancer. KON provided me with the opportunity to help my community in an enjoyable and meaningful way.

-Candice Crump, Publicity Officer

KON and Scholarship Founded in 1912 at Michigan State University, Dean Maude Gilchrist decided to expand KON to different campuses across the country. KON’s mission statement is to “empower leaders who use an integrative approach to enhance quality of living through excellence in scholarship, leadership, and research.” KON strives to invest in their members

and the preparation of their professional careers by providing scholarships annually to those that qualify.

Academic scholarships are given to those who meet the high standards of scholarship, and the honors society offers multiple different scholarships each year to students that meet the specific requirements. KON truly offers students the

opportunities to find the drive and motivation within themselves to achieve and accomplish their career goals. Offering scholarships are simply one way KON empowers students to enhance their quality of life.

-Alice Lee, KON Member

FCS Awards and Scholarship Banquet

Jocelyn Harri-

At the close of the spring 2014 semester, the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) hosted

son, Lindsey Marx, and Simona Hradilris receive KON scholarships.

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a scholarship and awards banquet at the Orange Grove Bistro, here at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). The FCS faculty honored close to forty students from all FCS departments in front of family and fellow class-

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mates. Some of the awards given included: Health and Human Development Dean’s Award, FCS Academic

Achievement Award, Outstanding Graduate Award, Outstanding Graduating Senior Award, Outstanding Service Award, and the Paul Clark Volunteer Award.

I was lucky enough to have been apart of this amazing celebration where I received The Nancy J. and Joseph N. Owens Kappa Omicron Nu Scholarship alongside two

of my peers, Jocelyn Harrison and Simona Hradil. It was an unbelievable honor to stand with fellow Kappa Omicron Nu (KON) members and be presented with this award. Receiving this scholarship award made me realize how grateful I am to be a part of such an incredible organization.

-Lindsey Marx, KON Vice President

How KON has taught me about “Community” Community can be defined as a feeling of fellowship with others that comes from sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. The CSUN KON Honor Society has allowed me to become apart of a community of students outside my major of nutrition and dietetics. Because the society encompasses all human sciences majors, I have been able to learn about other

disciplines and their role in promoting and sustaining wellness.

It is encouraging to be around students who not only value health, but also take pride in academic achievement. Additionally, KON has provided me the opportunity to give back to the community. On October 30th we held a fundraiser to help support our annual community service events including the

upcoming Food Drive and Blanket Donations. Every December, we make blankets to donate to the San Fernando Valley Community Center and Meet Each Need with Dignity organizations.

Being able to provide underserved community members with living essentials, such as blankets, has been and will continue to be a rewarding experience.

-Colette Rose, KON Treasurer

“KON has provided me the opportunity to give back to the community.”

Giving back to CSUN’s community In Fall 2013, I was initiated as a KON member the same semester that I began working as a CATCH teacher. The pilot program involved using specific curriculum from the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program, an evidence-based program designed to teach students physical activity and nutrition, at two Title I elementary schools in the Canoga Park area. As a CATCH teacher, it was my responsibility to combine the

different physical activity and nutrition lessons provided in the CATCH curriculum in an effective way for each of the four classes with which I worked and to implement these lessons every week.

The two Canoga Park schools that the CATCH program worked with do not have the resources to hire a PE teacher, so the other CATCH teachers and I have been able to bridge that gap and provide physical activities and nutrition lessons

that the students were not receiving before the program began. The CATCH program is continuing this year, with an additional nutrition component taught separate to the physical fitness lessons. The CATCH program allowed me to give back to the surrounding community, something that I am proud of both as a KON member and as a CSUN student.

-Jenni Brown, KON Editor

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KON Members Outside of CSUN

My summer internship at the USDA Jocelyn Harrison and her fellow USDA interns in Washington DC.

“It’s exciting to be at the center of the nutrition universe and to be in the company of so many nutrition experts.”

This summer I had the unique opportunity to closely observe nutrition policy at the Federal level during a seven -week internship with the US Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) located just outside Washington, D.C. in Alexandria, VA. The highly competitive internship is unpaid but the opportunity to learn about the complexities of the food and nutrition policy that determines dietary guidance for the nation is unparalleled. My internship was made possible in part by scholarships I received from the Kappa Omicron Nu Alumni Chapter of Southern California and the Nancy J. and Joseph N. Owens Kappa Omicron Nu FCS Department Scholar-

ship.

“It’s exciting to be at the center of the nutrition universe and to be in the company of so many nutrition experts.” This was my answer when Angela Tagtow, MS, RD, LD, and the new Executive Director of CNPP asked her new staff to tell her our thoughts about the department.

“Exciting” and “eyeopening” are two words that sum up my time at CNPP. The work of CNPP affects every American. The Center’s mission is to “improve the health of Americans by developing and promoting dietary guidance that links scientific research to the nutrition needs of consumers”. Many people are familiar with the work of CNPP through the older Food Guide Pyramid and the newer MyPlate icon.

CNPP has about 35 staff members, most of whom are registered dietitians and/

or nutritionists. Many hold Ph.D.s in nutrition, have conducted nutrition research, or taught nutrition at the university level. Half the staff makes up the Office of Nutrition Guidance and Analysis, which directs and supports the development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The other half is the Office of Nutrition Marketing and Communication (ONMC), responsible for promoting the guidelines to consumers and developing nutrition materials for Federal and other agencies.

Due to my background in marketing I worked with ONMC on a variety of marketing initiatives including ChooseMyPlate.gov, USDA National Strategic Partnerships, and ChooseMyPlate.gov social media. The ONMC staff graciously made me feel welcomed and valued from day one.

My first assignment was to

Extrusion Processing for Food Security It is well known worldwide that there is an enormous food crisis happening in Africa. According to the International Federation of Red Cross, "Over 6 million people across the southern African countries of An-

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gola, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Malawi are facing severe food shortages, and are at serious risk from disease and malnutrition. Postharvest losses are delivering a crippling blow to poor farmers, consequently caus-

ing further decline in agricultural production and elevating malnutrition among the populace. The magnitude of this food crisis seems an insurmountable problem. However, food scientists are playing

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USDA internship cont from pg 4 nect with these resources is ChooseMyPlate.gov.

A high point of the internship was attending the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) meeting. Every five years the USDA, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, releases Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The DGAC is made up of nutrition experts who volunteer for two years to comb through nutrition research and make dietary guideline recommendations that will inform nutrition policy. The process is scientifically rigorous to provide the best evidence-based recommendations and transparent to allay concerns about outside influence. The committee meets five to seven times over their twoyear term, and the public can at-

A blog entry that Jocelyn wrote for her summer internship

write a Fourth of July article for the USDA Blog. I also did menu and recipe analysis using SuperTracker.gov, as well as cost analysis using skills I learned in nutrition classes.

Overall the work and the atmosphere were fun, but focused.

The ONMC staff is responsible for a tremendous amount of materials that are free to the public. The best place to con-

Food Excursion an integral role in finding sustainable and economically viable solutions.

"Several researchers in Africa are making considerable progress in product development using extrusion technology (ET) for the development and production of traditional-based products from indigenous materials."

Extrusion is a process by which a substance is pushed through a die to make uniform sizes and shapes. Extrusion can increase the variety of foods in the diet by producing from raw materials a wide range of products with various shapes and textures. This increase in dietary variety can translate into more nutrient intake and combat malnourishment in developing countries. Extrusion cooking (EC) has become an in-

tend the meetings online. As an intern, I had the privilege to attend in-person and meet the committee members.

The biggest lesson I learned this summer is that nutrition policy is complex, particularly at the Federal level. There are multiple stakeholders with widely opposing viewpoints and diverse populations to serve. CNPP is at the center of a very loud and discordant public conversation taking place about food. Keeping in mind the inherent limitations of government processes, I feel better having seen first hand that there is a knowledgeable and dedicated staff working on our behalf. I have tremendous respect for their work and I am inspired to continue to support their efforts at the local level.

-Jocelyn Harrison, KON Member

cont from pg 4 creasingly popular procedure in the cereal, snack, and ready-to-eat categories which utilize starchy and proteinaceous raw materials (Filli et al 2014). EC has different capabilities than other heat processing techniques such as the ability to break covalent bonds in bipolymers. Other advantages include inactivation of deteriorative enzymes such as oxidases and proteases resulting in products with increased shelf life, fast cooking times which helps to retain nutritive value of foods, shelf stability which ensures nutritious food year-round, and severely reduced fuel costs and carbon emissions due to reduction of lengthy cooking times.

The main staple meals for Africans

include grains such as sorghum, millet, rice, corn, and fonio which are mostly lacking in both protein quantity and quality making it challenging to consume enough to meet daily energy and nutritive requirements. Research has shown, however, that these grains respond well to extrusion processing (Filli et al 2014). In order to tackle these huge issues such as malnutrition and postharvest losses, processing technology such as extrusion must be a focus. There will also need to be a focus on inexpensive sources of protein with which to fortify the food products produced.

-Michelle Hodeda, KON Member

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“...My experience with... all of the individuals who volunteered their time and energy to partake in my study, put a face to a deadly disease.”

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Research: Renal Disease With three blood collection tubes in hand, I searched for Makelesi Palu’s paperwork at the nurses station. It was blood draw day at the Davita dialysis clinic in Riverside and I had already laid out tubes for the rest of my second shift study participants. Once I was done, I would follow my professor, Dr. Elizabeth Sussman, to a nearby lab where the blood we had collected from the first shift would be processed. I approached a nurse.

“Do you know where Palu is sitting today? I can’t find her paperwork.”

“Palu?” Bjorn* said. “Palu’s gone. She passed away three weeks ago.”

I froze momentarily before I managed to thank Bjorn and make my way off the dialysis room floor to the little office Dr. Sussman and I occupied during the two days a month we conducted research at the clinic. I sat down and looked at the empty tubes in my hand, carefully numbered 33*, the number Palu had been assigned when she joined my clinical research trial three months earlier.

Since the study began in August 2014, I had lost other participants for a variety of reasons. For instance, one started nocturnal treatments and one began taking Airborne, both factors that would alter the blood test results and therefore made those individuals ineligible.

But this was different.

I knew that I would be dealing with a vulnerable population when I made the decision to utilize Dr. SussOMICRON

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man’s project for my thesis research. Our study participants suffer from end stage kidney failure, which means they require thrice weekly 4 -hour dialysis treatments during which a machine filters water, waste, and excess chemicals from their blood. On dialysis, typical life expectancy is 5-10 years. Without dialysis or a kidney transplant, an individual with end stage renal disease will die.

I found out later that Palu had developed cancer.

Build up of chemicals in between dialysis treatments may lead an individual with kidney failure to experience a host of symptoms, including fatigue and loss of appetite due to nausea. Further complicating matters are the medications prescribed to combat these symptoms, which come with their own side effects. It is possible that the numerous symptoms associated with Palu’s disease and medications masked her true condition.

Ultimately, her cancer was not discovered until it was too late.

Almost a half a million Americans suffer from end stage renal disease, which is associated with several comorbidities, including cancer. Our study is looking at the relationship between kidney failure and cardiovascular disease, a common cause of premature death in this patient population. Our subjects were divided into one of three groups and provided with a monthly bag of supplements that might contain vitamin C, vitamin C and selenium, or

a placebo. Vitamin C and selenium behave as antioxidants in the body and an imbalance between antioxidants and oxidants is a contributing factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. Vitamin C deficiency symptoms are quite similar to the general symptoms suffered by end stage renal disease patients and therefore might be masked.

Contributing to antioxidant deficiencies are the dietary restrictions kidney failure patients face. Many nutrient rich fruits and vegetables are limited due to their potassium content because excess potassium in a kidney failure patient’s diet may be deadly. Dr. Sussman and I hypothesized that daily supplementation of vitamin C and selenium would increase antioxidant status and improve the quality of life of dialysis patients.

Although the results of our study are pending, my experience with Palu, and all of the individuals who volunteered their time and energy to partake in my study, put a face to a deadly disease, allowing me to see first hand the myriad of struggles this community faces. As I proceed on my journey to complete my masters and become a registered dietitian, I will remember the valuable lessons this experience has taught me, including the fact that patients are people with unique and complex lives, therefore, treat the person, not the disease.

-Amanda Blake, KON member

Meet the Officers Jacqui Cooper, President Jacqui Cooper is a senior undergraduate student at CSUN studying Nutrition and aspires to become a Registered Dietitian working specifically with athletes and people with eating disorders. Jacqui has been involved with Kappa Omicron Nu (KON) for 2 years. She served as the treasurer and helped organize KON’s first on campus fundraiser. She is currently serving as the chapter president and hopes to keep the forward motion of the organization going steady.

Jacqui believes that KON has presented her with the opportunity to become involved on campus and give back to the community.

Lindsey Marx, Vice President

Kimberly Tilley, Secretary

Lindsey Marx is a graduate student in Nutrition and Dietetics and plans to complete her master’s degree in May 2015. She will be writing her thesis project based on implementing an after school nutrition education program that encourages elementary school students to taste different types of fruits and vegetables. Lindsey was initiated into Kappa Omicron Nu last year and actively took on the role as newsletter editor. Last semester, she published KON’s very first newsletter and today she acts as the Vice President of KON. After graduation, Lindsey plans on becoming a registered dietitian and would like to provide medical nutrition therapy to patients with type II diabetes.

Kimberly Tilley is a senior at CSUN finishing her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. When she is not in class or at work you can commonly find her volunteering off and on campus. Away from school her volunteer work extends to Providence St. Joseph’s hospital in Burbank where she has practiced patient care and hopes to gain experience in their Labor and Delivery unit. On campus, she works with the Marilyn Magaram Center in their “Professional Experiences Program” and at the Klotz Student Health Center where she holds the role of peer nutrition counselor, a part of her path to graduation.

Kimberly is currently preparing to apply for dietetic internships and master’s programs. Her undergraduate experience has not only enriched her knowledge of dietetics and passion for helping others, but also enabled her meet many wonderful people and network with a variety of professionals. Part of this experience has been due to her involvement with KON. Moving forward, Kimberly aims to use her passion for service and nutrition to find a career working in women’s health and prenatal nutrition.

Meet the Officers Candice Crump, Publicity Officer th

Candice Crump is currently completing her 4 year at CSUN as a Nutrition/Dietetics DPD and Graduate student. After working as a Lead Nutrition Educator for Network for A Healthy California with Monrovia Unified School District (MUSD), and as a Physical Educator for the UniHealth CATCH Program with LAUSD through CSUN, Candice found that her interests lie in community nutrition. She has participated in club fundraisers and physically active events such as Victory for Victims Walk with SDFSA, and Relay for Life through KON. This fall, Candice will complete her Thesis/ Project on the CATCH Curriculum Program, a program dedicated to implementing sustainable nutrition education and physical education in LAUSD schools. She believes creating innovative ways to incorporate nutrition education and physical activity in schools is important to changing the health

issues facing children and communities nationwide.

Maren Stein, Publicity Officer Maren Stein is a Graduate student in the Nutrition/ Dietetics program where she will complete the program in May of 2015. She was born in the suburbs of Chicago and moved to Los Angeles in 2008 with her husband. She attended Illinois State University as an undergraduate and graduated with a degree in History Education. Maren started the Nutrition program in 2011 and was initiated into KON in Spring of 2014. In her spare time, she enjoys to run and has completed 3 halfmarathons and is looking forward to running in more races. Also, since moving to Southern California, she has become a huge fan of Disneyland and tries to go at least once a month. She even has combined her 2 favorite pastimes and ran in the Disneyland Half Marathon and loved running in the park with all her favorite characters.

Colette Rose, Treasurer

Jenni Brown, Editor

Colette Rose currently serves as the Kappa Omicron Nu Treasurer. As a third year graduate student in nutrition and dietetics, she is excited to take part in a leadership organization that combines all Family and Consumer Science disciplines. Prior to returning to school to pursue her master's degree, Colette worked for the Dairy Council of California providing nutrition education to teachers and students throughout Los Angeles County. She currently works as a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor at Sony Pictures Athletic Club. These experiences ultimately led Colette to her career objective to become a registered dietitian. One specific goal she has is to develop a nutrition based mentoring program for adolescents, emphasizing self-esteem, nutrition, and exercise.

Jenni Brown is completing her last year in the nutrition graduate program and the Didactic Program in Dietetics, and is currently the Editor for KON. Jenni has been involved in the CSUN community, interning with the Marilyn Magaram Center’s Garden Project at a local elementary school, and by developing nutrition curriculum for Canoga Park’s Early Learning Center. She also designed and implemented nutrition and physical activity lessons as a CATCH teacher at two different Title I elementary schools.

Jenni’s focus on community and academics led her to become involved in KON as a member last year. Jenni hopes to complete a dietetic internship upon graduation in order to work as a Registered Dietitian focusing on child nutrition.