Economics major Saeyoon Baik of Seoul, Korea, has put her interest in gastronomy to good use at Carleton. She is a food columnist for the student newspaper and cofounded Slow Food Carleton, an offshoot of the national Slow Food movement. She has done two food-related independent studies, one on how “buzz” affects people’s choice of restaurants and the other on the effect of McDonald’s in France. She traveled to the Middle East and to China on separate off-campus studies programs and interned with Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong.
What attracted you to a Liberal Arts College?
The idea of “learning for learning’s sake” and the emphasis on reading, thinking, and writing. That was never really a dominant or important part of my education in Korea. I also wanted a beautiful campus where people know each other and build a community together.
Have any professors been a mentor to you?
Sociology professor Jay Levi, who helped me with one of my independent studies, and Pavel Kapinos in economics. I took his international finance course. He set the bar really high, and I was struggling, but he always was available to answer questions. I must have gone to see him at least once a week outside of class. He pushed us, but stayed accessible, too, so that motivated me to work hard in the class and I think I learned more because of that.
Another mentor is Bill North in the history department. I took his “Introduction to European Studies” class during my freshman year, but he’s still my friend. When I realized that I wanted to explore food issues, I talked to him about it, and he suggested ideas of how to study food from a historical perspective. He has a genuine curiosity about many topics. He holds his office hours in the library at night, so he’s going out and finding students where they are.
Tell us about starting Slow Food Carleton.
Slow Food is an international organization that started as a counter movement to the global spread of fast food; it has smaller grassroots organizations called conviviums, and Slow Food USA is connected to those movements. I wanted to raise awareness about the importance of not just eating food, but thinking about what it means to us and our lifestyle, as well as the history and culture of food.
What is the group’s mission?
To eat not just what’s fast and convenient, but to appreciate sharing food with your family and friends. It’s really about a sustainable lifestyle choice. Food is not just something you consume, but something that represents your identity, gives you pleasure, and helps you appreciate your community.
What does Slow Food Carleton do?
Mainly educational events. To educate people about the history of artisan cheesemaking in America – the method originally came from Europe – we held a tasting of cheeses made mostly in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It was easy to do and many students came, because who doesn’t like good food? Because of the fast lifestyle we live, it’s important to slow down and appreciate local foods, to really value what we are eating.
