the Magazine, Volume 2 Issue 2 - The College of Coastal Georgia
the Magazine, Volume 2 Issue 2 - The College of Coastal Georgia
the Magazine, Volume 2 Issue 2 - The College of Coastal Georgia
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Cooking for a CauseC.H.E.F.One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> newest student organizations on campus isnot just for aspiring chefs.“<strong>The</strong> acronym actually stands for Culinary andHospitality Educational Fellowship,” Chef Whit Ward ‘14explains. Ward, a sous chef at <strong>the</strong> King and Prince Beach& Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> originalfounders and serves as this year’s president.<strong>The</strong> inaugural president, Jessika Daniels, graduatedin May with a career associates degree in HospitalityManagement, specializing in hotel operations.“<strong>The</strong> emphasis is on fellowship,” Chef Thomas Waldrop‘13, sous chef at <strong>the</strong> Mad Hatter Tea Shop in St. Mary’sand two-term vice president <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> club, adds. Activitiesinclude networking, developing new community partnersfor internships and experiential learning opportunities,volunteering, and competing as <strong>the</strong> <strong>College</strong> culinary team.Now in its second year, <strong>the</strong> organization has 15 activemembers who are eagerly looking forward to an influx <strong>of</strong>new students this fall.Members <strong>of</strong> C.H.E.F. competed at <strong>the</strong> 2012 Golden IslesChili Cook-<strong>of</strong>f.“CHEF members want more hands-on culinaryexperiences outside <strong>the</strong> classroom,” Ward laughs, “becausewe know <strong>the</strong>re’s more to it than what you see on TV.”“Competition definitely reinforces what you learn in <strong>the</strong>Culinary and Hospitality Educational FellowshipPhoto courtesy <strong>of</strong> C.H.E.F.CHEF requires community service as a condition <strong>of</strong>membership. Last year, CHEF members made and providedlunch at a Habitat for Humanity building site in CamdenCounty. <strong>The</strong>y also prepared and served food donated bySou<strong>the</strong>rn Soul BBQ at <strong>the</strong> Tides and Tunes fundraiser for<strong>the</strong> Okefenokee area council <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Boy Scouts <strong>of</strong> America.Competing at cook <strong>of</strong>fs is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir favorite activities.CHEF teams participated in <strong>the</strong> Shrimp and Grits Festivalon Jekyll Island, Stewbilee in <strong>the</strong> streets <strong>of</strong> downtownBrunswick, and both <strong>the</strong> Taste <strong>of</strong> Glynn and <strong>the</strong> chili cook <strong>of</strong>fon St. Simons Island. <strong>The</strong> goal is not just local, however, as<strong>the</strong>y look forward to rounds <strong>of</strong> competition at <strong>the</strong> regionaland state level within <strong>the</strong> American Culinary Federation.<strong>The</strong>ir local competition is <strong>the</strong> culinary apprenticeshipprogram at Sea Island Resort.“At ACF competitions, some events are similar to <strong>the</strong> FoodNetwork challenges,” Waldrop explains. “You’re presentedwith a ‘blind basket’ – a tray <strong>of</strong> ingredients with your nameon it. Whatever is on <strong>the</strong> tray is what you use to prepare <strong>the</strong>competitive entry.”classroom,” Waldrop agrees. “<strong>The</strong> additional experiencemakes a stronger foundation. And it adds excitement to <strong>the</strong>culinary field.”“Plus winning reflects well on <strong>the</strong> culinary program, <strong>the</strong><strong>College</strong>, and <strong>the</strong> community,” Ward adds. “But <strong>the</strong>re’s moreto it than competing. This requires teamwork. We worktoge<strong>the</strong>r - we don’t just look out for ourselves.”“A comment Chef Steve [Ingersoll, Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong>Culinary Arts] made one day in <strong>the</strong> teaching kitchen stuckwith me,” Waldrop concluded. “He pointed out that someday we might be colleagues, so we should treat each o<strong>the</strong>rpr<strong>of</strong>essionally and learn to work toge<strong>the</strong>r compatibly now.”Membership in CHEF is open to any <strong>Coastal</strong> <strong>Georgia</strong>student. Meetings are held bi-weekly during <strong>the</strong> regularacademic year at <strong>the</strong> Camden Center, which houses <strong>the</strong>Hospitality Management facilities . <strong>The</strong> organization hopesto secure American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)affiliation for <strong>the</strong> program’s hotel operations students.<strong>The</strong> <strong>College</strong>’s culinary arts program is accredited by <strong>the</strong>American Culinary Federation. u22 <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Coastal</strong> <strong>Georgia</strong> – <strong>the</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>