Meet Meredith Sawyer and Reilly Price Who Enjoyed an Evening in the Samek

Following an exciting evening in the Samek with the panel, “Food for Thought” and the installation “Excito!, Excito!”, I caught up with two audience members to hear their thoughts on artificial flavoring, Thanksgiving, and edible art!

Meredith Sawyer

Class of 2014

Major: Chemical Engineering

Had you ever been to a program in the Samek Art Gallery? No.

What was it like hearing your professor, professor Margot Vigeant outside of the classroom?

I found it very interesting because I got the chance to see what I learn in class applied to real-life. As a chemical engineer, I understand that we are usually behind the scenes creating the products used by the public. It’s great that Professor Vigeant is able to explain this connection and relate it to an audience through food!

Were you brave enough to sample any of the “future” foods from the installation? 

I stuck mainly to the foods of the “past”, but regret not trying the futuristic apples- they looked so good!

Did listening to the panel influence what/how you will eat this Thanksgiving?

It will definitely be on my mind as I sit down to dinner, but I can’t stay promise that I’ll stay away from the Pumpkin Pie.

Reilly Price

Class of 2013

Major(s): Environmental Studies, Political Science

Had you ever been to a program in the Samek Art Gallery? Yes.

What part of the panel could you relate to the most?

I agreed with a lot of points made by Professor White.  In my four years at Bucknell, I have taken a lot of Environmental Science courses on how we consume and produce food and how Americans are mostly unaware of these processes. It is imperative that we understand that food does not grow on supermarket shelves and that we begin to accurately label the food that we produce- after all, we are what we eat!

Did listening to the panel influence what/how you will eat this Thanksgiving?

I think it is interesting to think about the progression we have made towards the easy-to-prepare, pre-packaged foods. In my opinion, Thanksgiving should be a time where families spend time together in the kitchen and maintain tradition. I will be in the kitchen with my family cooking for the majority of the day, but this isn’t anything new!