Introducing WUD Cuisine
Federica Ranelli (center) is excited to lead the new WUD Cuisine Committee this year as director. Pictured are other student leaders of the committee.
Fresh out of the oven is a brand new Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Committee: WUD Cuisine. The student-run committee is centered around food and dedicated to exploring Wisconsin’s food system through education about food sustainability, practicality and justice. Sound appetizing? Read on to meet WUD Cuisine Director Federica Ranelli (‘17), and learn more about the events and outreach planned for the upcoming year.
What is your major?
I am studying food science with a certificate in global health. I am very interested in food systems of all scales and sizes and how they affect a population’s health. For me, it’s the perfect marriage of receiving a globally conscious, public health-related education while getting a firm grasp on the science behind why the food system is the way it is now.
Why did you get involved in WUD Cuisine?
I got involved with WUD Cuisine because I wished I had the opportunity to find a haven of food-loving, socially conscious people when I was a freshman at UW. As a student, I have been seeking out opportunities to to get to know and become involved in the conversation around the food system’s intersections with economic status, physical location, the environment, culture and social justice. It has been an incredible learning experience and I will end my senior year with a network larger than I ever imagined. WUD Cuisine provides me the opportunity to share networks, conversations, ideas, dreams and tasty food with other students. The members of the Cuisine Committee range from students who are still exploring their path in the food system to students who have done their exploring and want to share and learn from others, to students who simply love cooking and eating. I am excited to see what this group of people will do this year!
What does WUD Cuisine do?
WUD Cuisine is an organization that provides programming all centered around food: cooking it, sharing it, talking about it, engaging in it. We have a cooking class series called “Cooking on a College Budget” where we partner with Slow Food UW to provide cooking classes a few times each month. WUD Cuisine is also creating a back to basics cooking series that revolves around the practicality of cooking for yourself–our first one is happening in early October and is all about cooking pasta, simple tomato sauce and chicken. Students have consistently expressed interest in learning how to cook, so we want to provide that for them. All of our cooking classes will have conversations of food sustainability, food justice and cultural awareness interlaced into their framework. No matter what we’re cooking up, we’re doing it with a purpose.
Additionally, we are running a series of educational talks and discussions as a way to unpack the complexity of the food system. We’ll be tapping into the rich dialogue already happening on campus and in the Madison community to educate around controversial food topics and learn from one another.
What are your responsibilities as director?
As director I have an overarching role. I have some wonderful assistant directors and coordinators who work with sub-committees to create the cooking classes, educational events and community outreach initiatives we have planned for this year. I also have an assistant director and coordinator dedicated to marketing and getting WUD Cuisine’s name out on campus and in the community. I work with them and my Union advisor to ensure that we are always staying true to our mission of challenging the public’s view of food. Day to day, I act as a liaison from the Union Council and Directorate officers to my leadership team and committee members and do everything I can to make my leadership team’s jobs are smooth and easy as possible.
What are your hopes for the first year of the committee?
This year is all about building a strong base. There are so many hopes I have for this committee’s future, and it is easy to get carried away and want to do it all the first year. During this year we are on the way to establishing a norm for the diversity of events that we hold and the number of new organizations with whom we partner. It is so important to establish ourselves on campus in a way that ensures people know what our purpose is; doing it through diverse events is one way we hope to do that this year. We are a group of food-lovers, but we don’t do just one thing. We talk about agriculture and social issues and how to make food tasty, what’s going on with GMOs and why people eat the way they do. It is sure to be an exciting year! The door is always open to join us.
Be sure to follow WUD Cuisine on Instagram and like its Facebook page to get updates on events and activities.
