Forward Magazine January 2024

C A M P U S D I N I N G M AG A Z I N E

Feast Your Eyes

10 Foods That Can Improve Eyesight

Unlocking Your Potential How Mentorship Can Help You Conquer College

Daring to be Different How Taking Risks Can Lead to Personal Growth and Success

The Dreamer's Challenge

5 Ways You Can Continue Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Tapping into Thompson Exploring Internship Opportunities Beyond the Dining Hall

Rise N' Dine

Breakfast Items to Help Fuel Your Day

JAN

2024

forward New Year, New Boldness Welcome to January, the month of “New Year, New Boldness”! This is the perfect time to start the year with a renewed commitment to taking bold steps towards your goals and aspirations. As we begin a new year, it’s an opportunity to set new intentions and create a vision for the future. This month is all about embracing the excitement and possibility that comes with a fresh start, and using that energy to propel yourself towards success. Whether it’s committing to a new fitness routine, pursuing a new career path, or taking on a personal challenge, this is the time to make bold moves towards your dreams. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and take risks that will help you grow and thrive. So join us in our mission to live boldly this January. Let’s start the year with a renewed commitment to our goals and aspirations. Let’s embrace the power of boldness to create the life we truly desire. This is the time to take action and make our dreams a reality.

Global Flavors Embark on a culinary adventure this new year with Global Flavors . Explore bold and exciting flavors from around the world by trying new spices and flavor combinations in your meals and snacks. Expand your palate with exotic ingredients like curry powder, sumac, garam masala, or harissa paste, and discover the rich and diverse flavors of global cuisine. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or a culinary novice, challenge yourself to explore new and exciting flavor profiles that will awaken your taste buds and transport you to new culinary horizons. Join us and unleash the boldness within with every flavorful bite.

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Daring to be Different

How Taking Risk Can Lead to Personal Growth and Success How often do you put yourself out there? Do you know where to start? While in college, there will be many opportunities to take your collegiate experience to the next level and help you get a head start on your professional career.

To partake in the opportunities takes stepping out of your comfort zone and taking risks.

Taking risks can be challenging because we naturally stick to familiar situations and spaces. These familiarities make you feel safe and secure, allowing you to let down any defenses. However, pushing past fear, embracing failure, and trying new things will enable you to thrive and be successful in all areas of your life.

To elevate your collegiate career, professional career, and personal life, it is essential to move beyond the status quo so you can open yourself up to new opportunities and motivation. Consider risky situations and the potential outcomes beforehand, but try not to shy away from a possible path to success.

Here are five ways taking risks can lead to personal growth and success:

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Increased Confidence and Expanded Comfort Zone Stepping outside of your comfort zone can be frightening. Staying connected to the spaces and things that comfort you is normal. It acts as a way for us to cope and feel safe. However, sometimes, our comforts can hinder us from possible opportunities. Taking that step outside your comfort zone helps you realize that you can do more than you thought. You can take on a leadership role, internship, job, being a member of that organization, obtaining a higher grade, and so much more.

As you expand your comfort zone, you will see an increase in your confidence.

Resilience Taking risks comes with making mistakes and facing adversities. Many may stray away from taking risks because of the possibility of failure or mishaps; however, often, that leads to being triumphant in the end. It is not about how you fall but how you recover and build yourself back up. Resilience happens in the face of adversity as you must learn to adapt. Learn from the mistakes you make along the way to help you grow and flourish.

Leadership Development The best way to develop as a leader is through experience. From taking the lead in a group project for class to speaking up for yourself or others to applying for a leadership role in an organization, there are various ways to help give you the experience you need to thrive. It can be very overwhelming to put yourself out there to take charge of a situation; however, taking that leap can allow you to unlock a potential that may have been previously hidden. Leadership development can also help you thrive in the future workplace and the classroom, as you can take the initiative where you see fit.

Networking Opportunities Networking events are not the only ways you can build your network. Instead, building a solid network happens through the various experiences you have. You will find many people to connect with as you take risks and put yourself out there for opportunity. The more you take a chance on yourself, the more you will build up your resume and draw attention from people who may have career-building opportunities, such as internships and scholarships.

Adaptability With adversity comes the ability to adapt to different situations. In a growing and constantly evolving working industry, it is crucial to keep current on what is going on, so adjusting to change seems feasible. You will learn to adapt to your surroundings as you take various opportunities and enter different spaces. This is an essential skill because, upon graduating college, you can properly navigate the workplace and the world around you.

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Feast Your Eyes

10 Foods That Can Improve Eyesight The things that seem to come easy to us are usually what we take for granted the most. From food, clean water, and shelter; we often do not express gratitude for the things around us. One of the body’s most essential and second complex organs can take in about 10 million colors and have the strongest muscles. With such importance, one must make sure they are treated with care.

Being highly productive and resilient, your eyes are an essential organ in your body. As light hits the sensitive tissue layer at the back of the eyes, called retinas, “special cells called photoreceptors turn light into electrical signals,” according to the National Eye Institute. Once the signals travel through the optic nerve to the brain, the brain turns signals into what we see.

Our eyes help us connect to the world; however, our eyesight can worsen as we age. According to the National Institute of Health, it is customary to notice a change in your vision as you age with common problems such as losing the ability to see up close, trouble telling color shades apart, and adjusting to the light. Additionally, age makes people more susceptible to eye diseases and conditions such asglaucoma, dry eyes, cataracts, and temporal arteritis.

Recently, there has been a growing concern about the new generation’s eyesight because of the increased use of technology devices. Generation Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) is in the digital age, where many technological devices are used every hour of the day. This vast amount of screen time can impact their eyesight in the future. One of the most prominent concerns is Myopia, a shared vision condition that makes near objects clear and far things blurry.

Because of various medical and technological advances, we now have ways to help impaired vision with prescription glasses and correct impaired vision long-term with corrective surgeries. The American Academy of Ophthalmology estimates that about 35 percent of the United States population have normal vision naturally without corrective surgery. In contrast, about 75 percent of adults have normal vision with punitive measures.

While there are only ways to correct vision with professional help, many food items have natural healing properties to help improve and strengthen our eye health. While you are in the dining hall, make sure to look for the following foods to add to your plate.

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Carrots

This bright orange vegetable is full of beta-carotene, a compound used in the body to make vitamin A. With vitamin A, our eyes can adjust in the dark and see better overall.

Bell Pepper

Giving you the most vitamin C per calorie, this vegetable helps the blood vessels in your eyes and has been found to potentially lower your risk of getting cataracts.

Salmon

Fish, specifically salmon, have healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, which can strengthen and help develop the retina’s health.

Kale

Leafy greens such as kale are a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin, essential carotenoids or pigments that plants produce. These pigments are related to vitamin A and beta carotene, which help protect eye tissues from sunlight damage.

Blueberries

Rich in potent antioxidants that reinforce the collagen structure in the retina and offer extra vision protection, blueberries are a vital fruit to help your eyesight.

Brussel Sprouts

Despite not being the most popular vegetable, adding Brussels sprouts to your diet can help fill you with disease-fighting nutrients and phytonutrients that help protect your eyes from age-related eye conditions.

Avocados

Though they do not pack much punch in their taste, adding avocados to meals allows the nutrients from the fruit to save your eyes from damaging and oxidative stress that often leads to poor vision. Avocados include essential vitamins such as vitamins B6, C, and E, along with beta carotene and lutein, all beneficial to eye health.

Citrus Fruit

From oranges to lemons and grapefruit, citrus fruits have plenty of nutrients, such as hesperidin, which is proven to improve blood flow to the eyes and reduce inflammation.

Kidney Beans

These delicious beans are a good source of zinc and bioflavonoids that help lower the risk of cataracts and age-related problems with the retina.

Tomatoes

With lutein, beta-carotene, and other nutrients and antioxidants, tomatoes have a collection of properties that help protect against ultra-violent-induced damage and the production of cataracts.

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Reclaiming My Time!

No more powerful three words have gone viral than those of the culture’s auntie, U.S. Representative for California, Maxine Waters. As you walk into a new year, new month and new semester, Campus Dining is curating a culture of reclamation. As you stand at a new beginning, this is the perfect time to commit to excellence, refocus, and redirect to unleash your highest self. Let’s reclaim your Luxe Life!

Reclaiming your Luxe Life is all about getting a fresh take on how to adjust your life for optimal success. From healthy eating regimens to new study habits and setting good boundaries we look forward to helping you usher in your best year yet.

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January 2024

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Rise N' Dine

Breakfast Items to Help Fuel Your Day Nothing is better than a good night’s sleep after a long, tiresome day. While resting, your body is still working and ensuring it is prepared for the next day. On the lower half of our bodies, our stomachs continue to digest our food from the day slowly while digestive tissues repair and grow with the glucose from meals eaten throughout the day.

When you wake, your stomach is ready for a nourishing meal that will give you many different smells and covers, along with their competitors, and you have the energy to take on the day. What is your go-to breakfast meal? How often do you eat breakfast every day? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it replenishes the supply of glucose in your body to boost your energy levels. Breakfast, as its name suggests, breaks the overnight fasting period; therefore, it is essential to ensure you are taking in the nutrients needed to refuel the body.

When considering what to eat in the morning, consider what time you eat and how much to eat. According to an article by the Washington Post, scientists have found that in the morning, our bodies are primed to metabolize foods, as you can break down food to give you the energy you need for the day. However, many people often skip breakfast or do not feel hungry in the morning. Instead of skipping breakfast, consume a light meal and a large lunch. Many items in the dining hall will give you a boost to start your day. Here are a few food options that can start your day.

Eggs

Greek Yogurt

One of the most common breakfast items is the perfect food because it is jam-packed with nutrients. Eggs are a good protein source and contain various nutrients, including inflammation-fighting omega-3s, iron folate, vitamin D, E, and B12. This delicious food can be eaten by themselves or used as a side to the main dish, such as pancakes, waffles, and toast.

If you typically do not have an appetite in the morning, Greek yogurt is a nice treat to eat in the morning. Greek yogurt can be consumed by itself or paired with a breakfast meal. Eating this in the morning ensures a good protein intake and keeps your blood sugar levels at bay. It also has a plethora of probiotics and healthy bacteria that help with your gut health. Though it is not recommended to eat solely for breakfast, the kit is an excellent treat to start your day.

Oatmeal Rich in fiber, promoting fullness, and benefiting gut health, oatmeal is a great quick and simple meal that can be eaten by itself or paired on the side. If you want to add variety to your oatmeal, you can use fruit to have an additional nutritional factor. Oatmeal is also a great source of vitamins B and E and minerals, including magnesium, which is good for healthy muscles, nerves, and bones.

The body can better fight infections and promote excellent cell health with these nutrients.

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Bagel with cream cheese With everything, things are good in moderation.

While cream cheese is not typically healthy, it has fewer calories than other fat sources. Conversely, bagels are rich in calcium, which can help keep your bones and skin healthy. If cream cheese on a bagel is not your favorite topping, there are many other ways to dress up your bagel. However, be mindful of your topping because it can drastically affect the nutritional value.

January 2024

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January 2024

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Unlocking Your Potential

How Mentorship Can Help You Conquer College

It can be challenging to navigate through college. The structure of K-12 is vastly different from college as it gives you complete agency over your education; from picking your field of study and class schedule or times to choosing the right time to a career plan, you are in control of your life. Trying to figure out what is best for your future career can be overwhelming; however, having a mentor can help guide you through the trials and tribulations of life, college, and career.

According to the telehealth company TimelyMD, in 2023, about 85 percent of college students say they have more stress than they did last year. Many stressors plaguing college students include homesickness, financial and academic performances and decisions, their future, and many more. There are plenty of resources on campus to help. However, mentorship allows you to access resources that may be unknown to the masses.

You can obtain a mentor in many ways, with a lot being organically. Creating those connections with your professors by visiting their office hours and engaging in classroom discussions will allow you to gain that rapport needed to have a mentor.

Building that connection can be beneficial because your professors are experts in their field.

Your mentor doesn’t have to be limited to faculty members and can range from older students and alums to current professionals in the aspiring field. Be sure to attend campus events, speaking engagements, and various networking events to create the connections needed to get mentorships. College does not have to be a solo journey; with a mentor, you can conquer all your collegiate career has to offer.

Here are a few ways you can benefit from mentorship:

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Career and Collegiate Resources One of the more common reasons people obtain a mentor is to help get career opportunities. Be sure to express your career goals to your mentor so they can help set up options for you. Though they will give you a helping hand, you must make sure you are actively using the resources they provide and going to professional invites they invite you to. Being active in your relationship with your mentor strengthens the mentorship, which can lead you to success.

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Personal Growth The beautiful thing about having mentors is that they often have much wisdom to share. What you may be struggling with now, they may have a practical solution because they went through it before. Try to be open to introspective conversations with your mentor; you never know what life lessons they may give you.

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Stress Management Support There are various ways people manage stress in college, and what better way to get advice if not from people who have been in your shoes before? Though campuses may change, the situations and stressors stay the same. Be sure to ask your mentor how they handle stress and try the tools they give you.

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h t n o M e h t f o e p i c Re ET

. . . . . . . . . . . . . ............

K S I R B F E E JERKED B Ingredients

How to Prepare

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Onion Flakes 1 tbsp

1. Trim excess fat from beef brisket.

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Onion Powder 1-1/2 tsp

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Thyme, Dried 2 tsp

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Kosher Salt 1 tsp

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Ground Allspice 1 tsp

in center of oven. Cook 5 hours, turning

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Ground Nutmeg 1/4 tsp

brisket over every 1-1/2 hours. Remove

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Ground Cinnamon 1/4 tsp

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Granulated Sugar 1 tsp

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Ground Black Pepper 1 tsp

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Cayenne Pepper 1/2 tsp

2. Rub seasonings evenly over surface of brisket. Place brisket, fat side down, in a roasting pan. Add 1 cup water. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. Place

excess fat from pan with baster as it accumulates. Add additional 1/2 cup water to pan, if needed.

3. Remove brisket from pan, reserving pan drippings. Place brisket on sheet pan, fat side down, directly in oven or grill for 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145F. Trim excess fat from brisket and carve across the grain into thin slices.

4. Portion 4 ounces of brisket on serving dish and ladle with sauce.

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The Dreamer’s Challenge

5 Ways You Can Continue Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy Standing before his congregation at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 4th, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of his last speeches, unbeknownst to him. That morning, the crowd gathered to hear his words of inspiration that would last for generations.

He called it The Drum Major Instinct, describing everyone’s desire to feel important to others by achieving and surpassing them.

However, with that need for validation, King highlights that there’s a time when that need can become destructive and result in losing ourselves. We all want to be seen as special and to feel like we are doing good in the world. Through King’s words of wisdom, we are reminded that we are unique and capable of everything we set out to do.

“And this morning, the thing I like about it by giving that definition of greatness,” King said.

“Everybody can be great because everyone can serve…You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.”

King’s words live on, reminding us that greatness is not connected to status. While in college, comparing yourself to peers and obtaining various opportunities can be easy. Comparison can make you question yourself and your accomplishments, hindering you from relishing your success. King reminds everyone that you do not need accolades and recognition from society to make change; you need a heart full of compassion.

Everyone has a starting point, and before our great leaders made a difference in the world, they were just people with a dream of a better world. Being a part of the campus community, it is your responsibility to handle it with care. Whether big or small, you can make a difference on and off your campus in many ways.

Remember and reflect on Dr. King’s words, as we all can harness greatness and make substantial changes in the community.

Here are a few ways to continue his legacy in your community and beyond:

Community Service

Mentoring

Serving your community allows you to be better connected to the area. Living in the community is one thing, but ensuring it is cared for is another. Whether hosting a community clean up, tutoring other students, helping set up campus events, or starting a nonprofit, there are plenty of ways to get involved in your campus community. Look at what organizations are on campus and the various service projects they may do to see where you can help. There are also opportunities to support the neighboring community, reach out to neighbor organizations, and find out how yo can lend a helping hand.

We often think of mentors as people who are much older and are career professionals; however, mentors have no distinct looks or accolades. If you have wisdom to share, you can be a mentor to someone. Mentors help and guide others through various parts of their lives and careers. What you may have gone through gracefully can be challenging for someone else. We can all learn from each other.

Voting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is most known for his advocacy for voting rights for all citizens of the United States of America. Through his advocacy, he was able to help push the Voting Rights Act of 1965, extending voting rights to African Americans. Voting is one of the most important ways we can use our voices and elect the representatives and leaders of our country. In voting, you continue King’s legacy and his fight for a better society where we are all heard.

Never Stop Learning The saying “knowledge is power” is not stated in vain, as the more you know, the more you can form informed opinions. Gaining more knowledge is not limited to the work you do in school; instead, the work you do outside of school, the books you read in your downtime, the articles you read, the documentaries you watch, and the people you meet. The more you know, the more you can understand the world and change society.

Social Media Advocacy Whether big or small, you can use your platform to spread awareness of any injustice in the world. Before social media, many people, including Dr. King, marched in the streets to protest injustices they saw. Because of our access to social media, we have insight into things happening worldwide. Spreading awareness on social media allows people who would not normally see information to see it. Research topics before posting to ensure you are spreading accurate information.

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DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT

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Happy New Year!

We Are All His Legacy: Tribute to The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. TH Teaches Season 2, Episode 4, Sweet Potato Noodle Salad

CLICK FOR ON DEMAND TV FOR COLLEGE DINING

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January 2024

DINING EVENTS

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Tapping Into Thompson Exploring Internship Opportunities Beyond the Dining Hall College can be one of the most extraordinary times of your life as it prepares you for your professional career. From the events, seminars, and coursework to having interesting conversations in passing, you will learn various lessons that will help ensure your readiness for your career following graduation. One of the ways you can guarantee your readiness is by obtaining an internship, and we at Campus Dining at Thompson Hospitality have many opportunities to prepare you for your professional career.

You may know Thompson Hospitality as your food service company; however, we have created a growing internship program for college students within the marketing team in the campus dining sector. Throughout the internship, you will get hands-on experience that will directly impact your dining experience and be used to build your professional portfolio. Joellen Allah-Mensah, a senior computer science student minoring in graphic design at High Point University, had the opportunity to participate in our internship in the summer of 2023 under the Campus Dining sector, where she was able to leave her mark.

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“I was a graphic design intern, where my duties included creating menu graphics for upcoming residential dining concepts, brand guides to go along with these dining locations, creating spreads for the Forward Magazines distributed to the HBCUs we work with, as well as creating flyers and other graphics that may need help cleaning up,” Allah-Mensah said.

You can see Allah-Mensah and other summer interns’ graphic design work throughout the dining hall, from graphics on the menu screens, artwork on the walls, and the brand designs for the various retail locations, such as the logos for Birria-ish and Swish Dunk Foods at Virginia State University.

Along with Allah-Mensah, Ashely Clarke, a multimedia journalism major and graduating senior at Morgan State University, participated as a summer 2023 communications intern writing for the campus dining publication Forward Magazine.

“It was an experience that allowed me to enhance my writing skills, gain knowledge in marketing, and learn skills in professionalism and time management,” Clarke said. During her time with the internship, Clarke was able to write and produce over ten articles that you can read at issuu.com/thompsonhospitality.com in the August, November, and December editions of Forward Magazine.

A few past interns, including Allah-Mensah, have joined the Campus Dining team permanently. Allah-Mensah is currently working part-time as a graphic designer, where she can expand her skills and continue to thrive in her role. “As a part-time employee, my responsibilities have certainly become more critical, as I now see more of the behind-the-scenes of how everything works,” Allah-Mensah said.

“I was really glad that I landed the internship at Thompson Hospitality. Current digital solutions architect Yudai Koyama said. “Not only did I gain valuable experience, I was able to land a full-time job at Thompson!”

Yudai Koyama also began as a web design intern and recently rejoined the campus dining marketing team as a digital solutions architect, where he manages the ins and outs of the websites in campus dining, using his skills to assist the team with the other digital assets.

“Thompson offered me great work-life balance and allowed me to explore different areas of the industry. I also grew very close with my team, which allowed me to come back and work with them again!” Koyama said.

Aside from the hands-on experience, the emphasis and importance of working as a team is encouraged, as teamwork is critical to the success of our company. “From this role, I learned a lot about collaboration and working with a team.” Allah-Mensah said. “I found that every project we work on is interconnected from the different sections of our team, and we are all relying on one another to give our best work and do 110 percent.”

Summer Interns were also assigned mentors throughout the summer to give them extra guidance and act as a resource while they completed their projects. “I am grateful for the mentorship and guidance I received from seasoned professionals during the program,” Clarke said. “It has not only broadened my perspective in the field of communications but also instilled the confidence I need to pursue a successful career.

Campus Dining is not the only sector in Thompson Hospitality that offers internships, as there are many internship opportunities within various company areas. Currently, we are looking for interns for summer 2024 who are interested in and have experience in graphic design, media, content writing, finance, marketing, and human resources.

If you are eager to begin your professional journey and gain an exceptional experience that will shape your dining experience and positively impact others, apply for our summer internship today!

To apply, send an inquiry email to our vice president of marketing and programming, Daniela Smallwood, at daniela.smallwood@thompsonhospitality.com with the subject line “THS Summer Internship Inquiry.”

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Marketing Contacts Daniela‑Gabrielle Smallwood, Vice President of Marketing and Programming daniela.smallwood@thompsonhospitality.com (571) 446–7430 Stacey Gibson, National Director of Retail Marketing stacey.gibson@thompsonhospitality.com (571) 524–8566

Editorial Staff Gina Godwin, Creative Director Yolanda Waters, Chief Editor Heaven Smallwood, Editor Joellen Allah-Mensah, Graphic Designer