Wellness Cooking Demonstration at Bay Vista Housing

By: Brandon Wright/Contributing WriterResidential Life in collaboration with the Wellness Center is hosting the “Wellness Cooking Demonstration,” an event that showcases several student presentations that demonstrate how to make healthy meals.

 The Wellness Cooking Demonstration is being held to inform students residing in the Biscayne Bay Campus’ Bay Vista Housing on making health conscious food decisions.

According to Betsy Josma-Ducheine, Assistant Resident Life Coordinator of Bay Vista housing, Jo Hospitality students are recruited to host the presentations.

“We encourage [students] to maintain wellness by preparing their own meals,” said Dona Walcott, Assistant Director of University Health Services.

Considering health is a major issue for students living away from home, the event also teaches students how to shop smart. Those who take part in the demonstration even show students how to make better and healthier eating choices. It has been said this event is also an aim for students “to get excited about preparing a home-cooked meal for themselves,” said Walcott.“You’d be surprised at some people who don’t really know how to make a proper, healthy balanced sandwich.”,  according to Josma-Ducheine.With Bay Vista residents, as well as other students, knowing that there’s going to be food, others lean toward learning how to gain experience that can help them in the future.  Those that cook and participate in the event also enhance their public speaking skills.

“They have the experience of actually presenting to people what they’re cooking outside the hospitality field,” said Josma-Ducheine. ” They come and make food, and the residents come to eat and learn to cook.”

Josma-Ducheine stated that Resident Life expects to hear student impacts, and “get the residents to actually come out, find out what they liked about it and what they didn’t like about it.” It is also noted that organizers aim to get students to walk away with the knowledge that this organization is on campus and is available to help them, and benefit from the program.”I hope that [sudents] take away the encouragement to fix their own meals, and the knowledge of preparing simple nutritious meals, in their rooms, in their dorms, is what I encourage them to do”, said Walcott.

  The event will be taking place on Tuesday, Sept. 13, from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., inside the Bay Vista Housing community room.