Many high schools and colleges, including my own, look down on the culinary art program that is offered. Schools are cutting culinary arts programs left and right. When most people hear that I spent my junior and senior year of high school taking culinary arts classes like "Food and Nutrition" and "Baking and Pastry", all any adult would say to me is, "Really?" "A foods class?" What's the point of sitting around for an hour listening to someone tell you to eat healthy?" "You're not going to college to be a chef." "Pointless." And if you think about it, damn right that is pointless. When people hear the words "culinary arts" they automatically assume it's just a basic cooking class. But that's not what culinary arts is all about, especially the way it was taught at my high school. In fact, my first day of junior year when I walked into my "Food and Nutrition" class, written on the white board in big, bold letters was "THIS IS NOT A COOKING CLASS" Not only is culinary arts beneficial for our individual mental and emotional well being, but it directly impacts the economy, the health and well being of others, and society as a whole.
We can agree, high school isn't a teenagers ideal place to spend most of their day for several reasons. Some students are overwhelmed with the amount of work, others are discouraged with themselves because no matter how hard they try they cant seem to pass that one class they need to graduate, and then you have the ones who doze off in class because they cant sleep at night. Students have it hard sometimes trying to maintain a solid GPA, tying to have a balanced diet, a healthy social life, and good nights sleep.
"I looked forward to my senior year so I could sign up for culinary classes. That's all my friends and other students talked about"
"Classes provided me with such knowledge and a love for cooking. It opened me up to foods I never thought I would try. I also loved how it taught students "how to adult" and do a budget, learn healthy eating habits, and so many more beneficial topics."
"Its not just "cooking" students will be doing without. It's learning healthy eating habits along with basic skills on how to manage life and live responsibly before going out into the "real" world."
Those are just a few of the many shocked, and saddened reactions from the students, staff, and alumni at Somerset-Berkley Regional High School after finding out due to "budget cuts" they will be eliminating the culinary arts program. Supposedly, along with having to make budget cuts, another factor in eliminating the course is due to "low enrollment". Don't get me wrong, its wise to cut a course with a low enrollment value for the following year, but its also difficult to have a high enrollment value for a course that was never offered as an option for students to take. But that's none of my business.
We should be trying to make high school a place every student enjoys going to. And I hate to break it to you, but taking away a class that gives students such joy, comfort, and knowledge they will need when they enter the real world isn't going to make their high school experience enjoyable. No where in my 4 years of high school was I ever taught how to save money, how to create a grocery list, or how to manage stress by taking simple math or english classes. But are you curious as to where I did learn how to save money, how to create a grocery list, and how to manage my stress. From none other than my culinary arts class. The point of this post is not a protest to get culinary arts back into the budget, but to make people aware of what they are taking away from their students based off what they "assume" about the class. Too many programs are being cut for us to continue to ignore this.
Xo~ Mandy
