A semester filled with learning and real-world experience for 15 hospitality administration students concluded on Monday, Dec. 11, with perhaps the most competitive — and almost certainly the most fun — final examination of fall 2017 at Arkansas Tech University.
Cass Capen-Housley’s food preparation class divided into five three-person teams for a cooking competition in the style of Food Network’s “Chopped” television program.
When it was over, Team Gordon Ramsay — junior Holly Austin of Sherwood, junior Jonathan Williams of Altus and senior Maggie Whitfield of Russellville — was the winner.
A panel of six judges selected the winning team. They were: Shane Henderson, executive chef at Ben E. Keith Foods; Dr. Patricia Buford, associate dean in the ATU College of Engineering and Applied Sciences; Liz Chrisman, director of photography for University Marketing and Communication at Arkansas Tech; Dr. Jim Collins, retired professor of horticulture at ATU; Dr. Johnette Moody, associate professor of computer and information science; and Bethany Swindell, visiting instructor of emergency management at ATU.
“I think all of you did really well,” said Capen-Housley moments before the winning team was announced. “These students really worked hard this semester. We prepared food for 21 events, the most we’ve ever had in one semester. They made my semester go very smoothly.”
The versatility of students in the ATU hospitality administration program was exhibited by the fact that the winning team included two students specializing in tourism and event management (Austin and Williams) and one student specializing in lodging and club management (Whitfield).
“This was the second part of our final,” said Whitfield. “The first part was a paper final, but this was the more fun, second part of it,” said Whitfield. “This semester has provided us with so much hands-on experience in food prep, and it has been excellent.”
Learn more about the hospitality administration program at ATU.
