COL Community Connection
For my COL Community Connection project, I decided to reach out to a mentor of mine named Emily. Emily is a catcher and first baseman on the UBCO (University of British Columbia, Okanagan) softball team and plays in the WCSA (Western Collegiate Softball Association). She is committed to her team and that commitment has brought her many memories and opportunities. I met Emily about a month ago and she has been my batting coach ever since. We have a 1 on 1 lesson every two weeks and it has me helped greatly. Not only has she taught me new skills, but she has also taught me new vibes and moods to bring on the field with me. I decided I would interview her because she has only brought me smiles and laughter at our practices, and I think she deserves to get the shoutout she can. Softball has been in my life for about 8 years which is why it’s so important to me. It’s my absolute favourite sport and I love getting on the field to play with my team! Knowing that we both share that same passion massively, I thought she was the perfect person to interview and write about. I learned that Emily loves to play because it shows her strengths and has led her to many friends and opportunities. This connects us even more as I’ve made so many new friends through softball and I love how I can show my strength on the field. I’ve gotten opportunities through softball to go on trips too (California, Washington, Kelowna, etc.)! I also connected knowing she is an excellent role model. Emily’s previous teams included being on the Coquitlam Classics which is the team I’m on right now. This tells me that if I put in the work, I could end up being on a University team too! An opportunity this interview has given me was making a further friend connection with her. This means our practices will be better and allow me to do better on the field which could get me onto some high teams. Furthermore, here are all the questions and her answers!
Why are you passionate about you job or role?
- I have been passionate about softball for as long as I can remember. I first became passionate about softball because it was something that I was good at and it allowed me to showcase my strengths. I grew to be passionate about softball because of the connections and relationships it gave me and since then I have been all across the world for softball (as far as Africa!)
What’s your favourite part of being on a team?
- The family that I have. I played on the same team from the time i was 11-19 years old with many of the same girls. In college, I loved being on a team because no matter what your team has your back and they will support you or help you if you ever need it. Everybody on the team brings something different to the table that makes the team stronger as a whole.
What obstacles have you faced to get you where you are today?
- One of the obstacles I faced for a very long time is my confidence. Despite the fact that I knew I was a strong player, I always felt that I wasn’t good enough, fast enough, or strong enough. I had to work on being confident in myself to realize that I had what it takes to be excellent.
How has Softball positively affected your life?
- I have been to so many cool places and met some amazing people, that’s probably the best part of softball for me. I have been from the southern USA all the way to Uganda, Africa! The connections and friendships will last me a lifetime.
What advice would you pass on to someone interested in what you are doing?
- Put in the work! Extra reps on the tee, extra sets in the gym; it’s the little bit of extra work and dedication that sets you apart from everyone else.
Would you be open to further contact from Riverside students and if so, how can someone contact you?
Foods Consumable Waste Assignment
The food I eat usually comes in a plastic wrap both tight and loose, a plastic container, or a cardboard box. Occasionally a wax lined container as well. Out of all the items in my kitchen the main package resource is unfortunately un-recyclable plastic. The close second is as well plastic but is the recyclable kind. I think that plastic is the main package resource because its cheap and durable. Some plastic packaging allows for the consumer to see their product. This is a pro for the marketers as they get to show off their items easily. Plastic also can’t easily break by dropping on the floor. This allows for easy transportation of the product. Packaging does have its pros though. If packaging did not exist germs from hands could easily infect other foods in the stores. No one is going to take an unprotected bagel from the store. Packaging protects food from damage too. Soft and delicate foods without packaging would easily be smashed or cut. Consumers aren’t going to buy smashed eggs. The cons of packaging are the space it might take up. Say you have a box to fit in the freezer and it’s too big, that food will have to go buried in the freezer unprotected. Another con is when the food inside the packaging is gone. The consumers have no longer use for it and don’t want to see it anymore. Naturally they would then throw it in the garbage and if a decent person, would recycle when possible. Unfortunately, most of the food packaging goes in the garbage. This garbage will then go to landfill waste. Packaging waste after one day will probably be in your home garbage or recycling bin. In one year, any garbage will most likely be in a landfill. This is where any unusable waste goes. Landfills are huge piles of garbage with nothing to do, it will eventually decompose but this takes years. If it was recycled it could be at the recycling plant still, at a landfill, or in someone’s home as another item. After 100 years only some waste will decompose as landfills are made for storage and not decomposer. Other waste could stay intact for thousands of years or maybe even forever. Food waste if in a compost plant decomposes after some time. This could be days to years. Food waste can also be turned into energy or fertilizer. Even some animals could snack on some food waste as even untouched food is wasted! The first tip I would suggest for reducing food waste would be to use smaller plates. We always eat with our eyes and we find it unsatisfying when the plates are not filled. This leads to leftovers and adds to the food waste amount. The second tip would be to start a compost. This allows for any peels or scraps to be properly decomposed. You can then use this as a fertilizer for a garden! The third tip would be to have a smaller fridge. It’s also unsatisfying looking at empty spots in the fridge, so we tend to fill them up with not needed food. A crowded fridge blocks other food items making you forget that you have them too. This leads to an unnecessary rot of food.
Five Safety Tips
1. Avoid accidents by reducing clutter in the workspace.
Accidents are more likely to happen when in an unclean and cluttered space. Glasses can break, knives could drop, and there could tripping hazards. To avoid these, make sure the cooking unit is as clean as possible as well as your table.
2. Wipe up all spills immediately. Make sure the floor is thoroughly cleaned before you leave.
Spills on the floor are a big hazard as you or others could easy slip and fall. Falling in the foods room is not the best as you will be near hot surfaces, knives, and hard counters, making an injury easy. After cleaning up the spill double check that it is thoroughly cleaned and you’re not leaving a small spill for another to hurt themselves with.
3. Turn pot handles inward or out of the line of traffic to avoid tipping.
This is so you or others don’t accidentally run into the handle and disturb the hot pot or pan. Running into the handle could tip the pot or pan and severely burn someone with itself or its contents. This could also create a mess in the unit that would take time to clean up.
4. Never leave knives and sharp instruments in soapy dishwater.
Leaving any type of sharp instrument in the soapy dishwater is a huge hazard as you will not be able to properly see the blade. This is also a hazard for others if they can’t see the blade and don’t know that it’s in there. They could simply reach a hand in and easily cut themselves. Instead, place it to the side of the sink and wash it directly.
5. Always hand sanitize your hands thoroughly before coming into class and after you have eaten
Foods is a place of preparing food meaning COVID transmission is a high-risk factor if the proper rules are not followed. Hand sanitizing before you come into class helps eliminate any class to class germ transmissions (say from math class to foods). If you ever eat the food prepared in class possible spit transmission from you mouth to hands is applicable. After eating it would be best to wash your hands but if not possible, hand sanitize.
Why are you passionate about you job or role?
What obstacles have you faced to get you where you are today?
How has Softball positively affected your life?
What advice would you pass on to someone interested in what you are doing?
