Around the Table - Oregon Stater

Aaron Truong, ’09

Co-owner, Portland’s Hapa Pizza

To me, a good life is rooted in loving relationships and meaningful service. Food is the thread that weaves these together. Around the table, we celebrate milestones, share stories and deepen friendships. As a restaurant owner, food also becomes a way to serve — through meals that bring joy and by creating a positive workplace for our team. In this way, food is not just sustenance; it’s the center of a rich and meaningful life.

Courtesy of Aaron Troung

Nicole Hindes

Director, OSU Basic Needs Center

Over and over again, I’ve seen our community make sure everyone has something to eat. Whether it’s donated extra meal swipes, squash harvests from research fields, or the annual food drive competition against our rivals to the south, I have seen the generosity of Beaver Nation. We show up and share with those who don’t have as much. This inspires me, daily.

Photo by Travis Gilmour

Molly Carney

Assistant professor, School of Language, Culture and Society

Food connects us to both places and people. As an archaeologist working with Indigenous communities, I’ve learned that food is a way of practicing care through relationships across generations, species and landscapes. Thinking through food allows us to imagine futures that sustain community and ecological well-being, from restoring the lands where foods are grown and raised to renewing cultural connections through shared meals and traditions.

Photo by Blake Brown

Pat Egan, ’92

President and CEO, See’s Candies

People need connection. Food gives us that opportunity. Whether in the making, the serving or the eating, good food makes and delivers happiness. I hear regularly from See’s fans who place our candies at the center of their gathering table or give them as a gift to someone they love (including themselves!). They are a testament to the fact that food is as important as it has ever been for bringing people together.

Photo by Karl Maasdam, ’93

Around the TableQ: What role does food play in your idea of a good life?