B BLOCK
For the first 6 weeks of school, we do not take kitchen classes. Instead, we are in traditional classrooms taking classes like Food Safety, Intro to Gastronomy, Product Knowledge, Culinary Math, and Writing. What we learn from these classes will help us when we get to the kitchen. For example: In math, we are learning how to order food based on what yield we get from the food as well as costing forms, etc. It is very easy math that we learned back in middle school, but what we are learning is how to apply our previous math skills to the kitchen. Product Knowledge is essentially its name—we learn how to indentify produce and how to choose the best produce. I am really enjoying what they call B Block (these first 6 weeks) because we have 2-3 classes per day, so it leaves plenty of time for homework and the occasional Stop and Shop run to stock our dorms and mini fridges with food.
MEAL PLAN
I am on the standard meal plan, which is two “swipes” or meals per day. We can upgrade to allow for more meals, but I just like to eat breakfast in my room. Therefore, I go to stop and shop and buy my own food to keep my room stocked with healthy food. Yes, I actually keep healthy food in my room...apples, sugar snap peas, grapes, yogurt. However, I do buy chips, like pita chips or root chips. Unfortunately, this standard meal plan does not include food on the weekends, so I must have food here since I do not want to have to go out for food every day. Its especially long weekends that kill me. I usually have to go out and buy some sort of actual meal because one cannot live off of chips and yogurt...well, if I had to I could.
CAR ON CAMPUS
So yes, I do have a car on campus. It is so helpful for these stop and shop runs, especially since there is a stop and shop not even a mile away. I could walk if I wanted to, but nah. I hate to say it, but almost none of my friends have cars, so I am pretty sure they are friends with me because of my car...terrible, I know, hahaha. However, they really are nice people, regardless of the fact that I have a car. The one thing that stinks about having a car is parking it. There is always parking available, but it is very far away. I am spoiled so I am complaining about having to walk 13 minutes to get to my car; I know other campuses it is at least a 20-minute walk. On the weekends, they open up the faculty lot to students, which is half the distance. We are allowed to park our car in there from 6 pm Friday until 6 pm Sunday. If it is not out by 6 pm Sunday, it is towed.
Here is a funny story. I made the mistake of not moving my car by 6 pm Sunday. Well, 6:15 rolls around and I realize that I had not moved my car. So I run to the lot, literally RUN. And it’s not there. So I go to campus safety and they say, “oh yea, the guy just took it. He has to come back for another car, so if you can get the money in 20 minutes, you can get it back tonight.” I had to pay 100 dollars, and I needed cash. Well, all the ATMs on campus were broken so how was I supposed to get it back??? I started running around campus trying to find friends to lend me money and right now I am so happy that people are nice. I did get the cash and my car that night. And I also paid my friends back. But I also learned an important lesson: make a note to move your car...it sucks getting it towed, I learned that the hard way.
DRESS CODE
An observation my parents had upon touring the campus for the first time was what the students were wearing. Either they are in the traditional chef whites (pants and jacket) or in business casual. It is actually a rule on campus that in order to go into any of the academic buildings, we must be wearing the above stated. This is to keep a professional environment. We are allowed to walk around campus in whatever we choose; it is just eating meals and going to classes that require a specific dress code. I really do like dressing up every day, as do many people I have talked to. My mom is probably thinking, “of course she likes wearing all these clothes because it meant her being able to go on a shopping spree before school!” I really do feel more professional dressing up every day. One thing I have noticed though is that once we get out whites, which is about 10 days into us being here, half the students wear those rather than the business casual....hmm I wonder why? Well, it is much easier to get dressed in the morning when all you have to do is pull on a pair of pants and slip on a jacket. I on the other hand continued to dress nicely because I want to save my whites for the kitchen.
THE FOOD
Everyone is probably wondering what the food is like here. It is absolutely incredible! The students cook everything and they do a great job at it too! Yes, I have had some not so great food, but its part of the learning process. There are a number of kitchens to eat from (Asias, Mediterranean, Americas, and Quantity Foods) as well as eating in the Banquets in Catering Kitchens. In the above listed kitchen, you go to the door of that kitchen and grab a tray of food of whatever they are serving that day. I have only eaten there once because of how my class schedule is set up (so I miss the serving times). You grab your food and go to Farquharson Hall, or Farq, which is the big dining room, to eat. Another option for eating is Banquets and Catering in which you actually sit in a dining room and are served by the students. It is to practice being a server. We get and endless supply of freshly baked breads and a choice between sparkling or still water. I like the still water. There are three courses—appetizer, entree, and dessert. It is a lot of food, so when I know I will be going to B&C for dinner (which is usually when I go) I don’t eat much during the day. The food has been excellent some times, and terrible other times. Its hit or miss. But I continue to go for the social aspect. I like to meet new people.
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