the Magazine, Volume 2 Issue 2 - The College of Coastal Georgia

Cooking for a CauseC.H.E.F.One of the newest student organizations on campus isnot just for aspiring chefs.“The acronym actually stands for Culinary andHospitality Educational Fellowship,” Chef Whit Ward ‘14explains. Ward, a sous chef at the King and Prince Beach& Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, is one of the originalfounders and serves as this year’s president.The inaugural president, Jessika Daniels, graduatedin May with a career associates degree in HospitalityManagement, specializing in hotel operations.“The emphasis is on fellowship,” Chef Thomas Waldrop‘13, sous chef at the Mad Hatter Tea Shop in St. Mary’sand two-term vice president of the club, adds. Activitiesinclude networking, developing new community partnersfor internships and experiential learning opportunities,volunteering, and competing as the College culinary team.Now in its second year, the organization has 15 activemembers who are eagerly looking forward to an influx ofnew students this fall.Members of C.H.E.F. competed at the 2012 Golden IslesChili Cook-off.“CHEF members want more hands-on culinaryexperiences outside the classroom,” Ward laughs, “becausewe know there’s more to it than what you see on TV.”“Competition definitely reinforces what you learn in theCulinary and Hospitality Educational FellowshipPhoto courtesy of C.H.E.F.CHEF requires community service as a condition ofmembership. Last year, CHEF members made and providedlunch at a Habitat for Humanity building site in CamdenCounty. They also prepared and served food donated bySouthern Soul BBQ at the Tides and Tunes fundraiser forthe Okefenokee area council of the Boy Scouts of America.Competing at cook offs is one of their favorite activities.CHEF teams participated in the Shrimp and Grits Festivalon Jekyll Island, Stewbilee in the streets of downtownBrunswick, and both the Taste of Glynn and the chili cook offon St. Simons Island. The goal is not just local, however, asthey look forward to rounds of competition at the regionaland state level within the American Culinary Federation.Their local competition is the culinary apprenticeshipprogram at Sea Island Resort.“At ACF competitions, some events are similar to the FoodNetwork challenges,” Waldrop explains. “You’re presentedwith a ‘blind basket’ – a tray of ingredients with your nameon it. Whatever is on the tray is what you use to prepare thecompetitive entry.”classroom,” Waldrop agrees. “The additional experiencemakes a stronger foundation. And it adds excitement to theculinary field.”“Plus winning reflects well on the culinary program, theCollege, and the community,” Ward adds. “But there’s moreto it than competing. This requires teamwork. We worktogether - we don’t just look out for ourselves.”“A comment Chef Steve [Ingersoll, Assistant Professor ofCulinary Arts] made one day in the teaching kitchen stuckwith me,” Waldrop concluded. “He pointed out that someday we might be colleagues, so we should treat each otherprofessionally and learn to work together compatibly now.”Membership in CHEF is open to any Coastal Georgiastudent. Meetings are held bi-weekly during the regularacademic year at the Camden Center, which houses theHospitality Management facilities . The organization hopesto secure American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)affiliation for the program’s hotel operations students.The College’s culinary arts program is accredited by theAmerican Culinary Federation. u22 College of Coastal Georgia – the Magazine