Summer at SoFAB means fab internships

Tulane students decide to stay in New Orleans over the summer for many reasons — to pursue a relevant job opportunity or internship, to continue research they have worked on over the academic year, to get to know the city better, or a combination of all three. Rising juniors Arabella Matthews and Siena Farrar have discovered that interning in the city this summer allows them to see New Orleans in a new light and to discover its quirks and secrets for themselves.

Matthews and Farrar secured summer internships at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, a culture and events center with a focus on the food and drink of the American South, located at 1504 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.

The museum hosts rotating exhibits on various historical dishes, restaurants, and important chefs and restaurateurs. It also hosts tastings, cooking demonstrations, children"s programming and other events in tandem with local festivals or conferences.

Farrar, a public health and anthropology major, chose an internship in the museum"s programming division to learn more about the convergence of event planning and cooking and to determine how to incorporate the South"s culinary background into her career interests. She works directly with Jyl Benson, director of culinary programming at the museum, to plan and execute the numerous SoFAB events.

“Above all, I love the people I work with,” Farrar said.

As a history and anthropology major, Matthews pursued an internship in the curatorial department. She conducts research for an upcoming exhibit on Native American foods and how they have contributed to foodways in the South — exploring her interests in American culinary history and learning about the skills necessary for a research position.

“Food is one of the best ways to learn more about a time and place,” she said, “because it is a necessary but regionally distinct aspect of every culture.”

Hannah Dean is a rising junior, majoring in Latin American studies and political science at Tulane University.