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SFA Friend Group Hosts Thanksgiving Dinner Full of Tradition

November 19, 2012 schmidt

Oven roasted juicy turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, bread rolls and delicious pumpkin and pecan pie; Thanksgiving foods have always been an important part of tradition among American families.

Since the very first Thanksgiving in 1621 with the Native Americans and pilgrims in Plymouth County, food and family have been a large part of the true meaning of giving thanks for the blessings in a person’s life.

With SFA students traveling across the state seeking that once a year glow of tradition, it is clear that food and family is the only thing on the minds of the SFA campus. And it’s clear why.

With the budget of a college student, whether living on or off-campus, gas and food are expensive and getting home every weekend is not an option. That’s why there are breaks and holidays.

“I love just hanging out with my family and eating a lot of food,” Matt St. John, SFA senior, said. “We don’t really have a set tradition as long as we’re together.”

And it seems that togetherness and food is what this traditional holiday is all about according to SFA students. But it is said that food brings everyone closer, especially during the holidays.

According to Kasey Snyder, SFA senior, the Thanksgiving tradition that is most important to her is having her father home.

With a military chief warrant officer as a father it sure is hard to carry on a yearly tradition, especially when the head of the household isn’t there to celebrate it with you.

However, Snyder’s family traditions include food, of course, board games, watching holiday inspired movies and TV specials and then sleeping the food off while Mr. Snyder continues watching the television screen.

All in all, the important thing about Thanksgiving isn’t just about the turkey, dressing, who brought what or what television special is on. Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for what you have, not what you want or what kind of life you would have if you had gone down a different path.

With families like Snyder, who’s father has been in the military since she was a little girl, Thanksgiving, Christmas and even birthdays are all about being together as a family, whether it’s a family of blood or a family of friends.

Even though Snyder has a Thanksgiving dinner with her family during the holiday break, she also had a dinner with her close friends that she has made here at SFA. Instead of just one person, or couple, buying everything and cooking the entire meal themselves, the group of friends decided that each person would bring a side dish or dessert. Hosted by Nixon, Trevino and Pace at the Talesin Apartments on North St., the three friends and roommates brought the turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy.

“I love eating all of the food,” Pace said. “Mashed potatoes and gravy are my favorite.”

Hill, Snyder and Anderson brought pumpkin pies, sweet potatoes with walnut and cinnamon topping and rolls. Hickman brought green bean casserole.

“We used to have Friday night dinners, all of us together,” Synder said. “But with all of the homework, we don’t really have time. That’s why we have Thanksgiving dinner. It brings us together. “

With friends like these, Snyder was able to receive a Thanksgiving dinner without even leaving Nacogdoches.

Kasey Snyder, Benjamin Hickman, Lauren Hill, Chris Pace, Candance Anderson, Antonio Trevino and Kelsey Nixon all gather around to give thanks before eating their Thanksgiving dinner.

c.schmidt1110@hotmail.com

The Gumbo

October 22, 2012 allen

Students were filled at the Barn restaurant as they waited for the many performances given at The Gumbo. The Gumbo is a talent show hosted by Men of Achievement.

Change Comes to the Student Center

September 17, 2012 fluegel

Nicole Lejeune reaches for a sub from the RFoC Express

The student center cafeteria made some changes over the summer break; returning students were surprised to see that the cafeteria had knocked out a wall, rearranged some of the food stations, and added an express feature.

The Wall

Over the summer the dinning services decided to get rid of the glass wall on the south side of the student center that separated a carpeted room from the rest of the cafeteria.

“The setup in that room was not conducive to students using it.” said Marvin Grand, Senior Service Director, so they remodeled.

In previous years there were long tables in the south side room with not much room to sit or allow people to pass through. This year they moved those long tables to different parts of the cafeteria and put the ”4-top” or square tables in the room instead. The smaller tables and more accessible room have allowed for students to be more comfortable when choosing to sit there.

“We actually are seeing that room being utilized more and more everyday,” said Grand.

The Food

Over the summer the food moved as well. The substation traded places with the make-your-own pasta station. The substation is now next to the pizza while the make your own pasta is located in the middle island next to the salad bar. New to the substation is the ability to toast your sub. Pre-made pasta has disappeared from the student center cafeteria and pre-made subs have taken its place.

The buffalo sauce, the spicy mustard, and other sauces had disappeared from the student center cafeteria, but reappeared a couple weeks into the school year. Other than those changes the student center cateferia food remains the same. There is still an extensive salad bar, the same cereal options, pizza, grilled cheese, veggie burgers, desserts, and the usual rotation of food.

The Real Food on Campus (RFoC) Express

Perhaps the most exciting new feature is the RFoC Express option that debuted this fall. Students can grab an entree, two sides, and a drink without having to wait in cafeteria lines. The entrees are usually six inch subs, wraps, or salads, while the sides consist of side salads or fruits/vegetables, and the drink is your choice of the standard cafeteria fountain drinks.

The only catch is that you can’t have a white to-go box and an RFoC Express option, but this has not become an issue for most people. Nicole Lejeune, senior Pre-Vet Student, said that she was really excited about it, and admitted shortly thereafter that she was probably more excited than she should be. She’s not the only one happy about the express option. According to Grand, students’ feedback is positive. Nevertheless the RFoC Express gives students more opportunity to eatwhile staying on the move.

RFoC Express was inspired by the students’ feedback of the cafeteria. Two times a year dinning services does a dining style survey. They found that a concern for students was the long lines at the Student Center Cafeteria. So they created the RFoC express.

“You no longer have to wait in line with a to-go box to get food,” said Grand.

In the past students on the go had to rely on the restaurants in the student center, like Chick-fil-a, Panda Express, and the C store, for fast food. While these options maybe quick and appealing to most students, they lack in nutrition and deplete a student’s bank account or dining dollars quickly. The RFoC Express gives students their food with the same speed fast food restaurants give them, but with healthier, albeit less, options.

Unlimited Drinks

In addition to the changes made to the student center cafeteria Dining Services has introduced an unlimited drinks program. Students can buy unlimited fountain drinks for a hefty price. $130 is what it cost a student to have any fountain drink they want from any of the SFA dining retail locations anytime those places are open.

This means that students can walk up to any retail store, like Chick-fil-A or Zoca, show them their unlimited drink pass, and they will give the student a cup to fill up with any fountain drink available. However, students cannot go into the cafeteria to redeem their unlimited drinks offer, nor can they redeem it on bottled beverages from the C-Store.

The idea was that students would be able to treat the student center like a cruise or disneyland. At these places you just buy a cup and you can have as much to drink as you want. The advantage for SFA students is they don’t even have to carry a cup.

“It’s not a bad idea, but it’s a little expensive,” said Jesus Tobias, senior and biology major.

Most students agree. According to Grand, only about ten people have signed up for it the last time he looked. That number includes students, faculty, and staff. So while Senior Jesus Tobias and most of the school are unimpressed, a few people are.

“It’s good for right now when it is hot, but when it cools down people are going to want something hot. I wouldn’t use it anymore.” Carmen Stanley, junior and Radio/TV major.

She is right; there are no hot drinks included in this program. However, since we live in Texas, cold weather won’t come until January.

Did You Know

Another service the cafeteria offers is the ability to look up what each cafeteria is serving. This option has been available for around five years, but is not well known. Here is how you get there.

go to this link http://www.campusdish.com/en-us/CSSW/StephenFAustin

or go to

sfasu.edu
search “dining services”
Click on the first link
On the left side click “Dining Services-Aramark”

On the left side of the screen you will see Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Clicking on these will allow students to answer the old and profound questions of, “What’s for dinner?”

Since the dining style surveys started, they have only gotten better according to Grand.

“We are a solutions provider. We manage services… but we also try to come up with solutions,” said Grand.

Surveys matter. The dining services department is always trying to improve student experience, so if you get a survey be honest with your critique and you might just get what you want.

fluegeldd@titan.sfasu.edu

Is it Lunch Time Yet?

December 07, 2011 Adrianna Rodrigues

A chef at Sushic in the Student Center dining area hands out free samples to hungry students on Wednesday afternoon.

Frank

November 16, 2011 Marcus Rosendoll

A little taste of Austin comes to Nacogdoches. Stop by the new restaurant Frank for good food, live entertainment, and a great time.

The Gumbo

November 16, 2011 Marcus Rosendoll

Recording artist Memo gives a live performance at local restaurant, Frank. "The Gumbo" was an open mic event hosted by the brothers of Men of Achievement (MOA), an SFA organization based on the pillars of professionalism, Christianity and brotherhood.

2011 Pineywoods Fair

November 05, 2011 Randal Teater

Chef Dean Cates Treats Feature Writing Class

October 26, 2011 Adrianna Rodrigues

If you were lucky enough to get to walk by the Media Room on the second floor of the student center on the morning of Wednesday, October 26, you might have gotten the pleasure of smelling the sweet sautéed onions that was flowing out of the room. The smell of fresh, aromatic herbs being simmered with tender beef medallions was wafting through the air and may have filled your nostrils with a goodness that made your stomach growl.

How would you like to get up and go to class and have a meal cooked for you? If you happen to be lucky enough to be in Dr. Linda Bond’s Feature Writing class, then that dream has just come true. The class welcomed renowned Chef Dean Cates, who works for Aramark and is the executive campus chef at SFA.

Chef Cates joined the class for a two-part session to give them a little knowledge on food and how it is prepared. The class is doing a section on learning to writing about and review food, and Dr. Bond thought it would be a good idea for the class to learn some basics from an expert. Dr. Bond said that this is one of her favorite sections in the Feature Writing class because the students get to taste some really good food.

Chef Cates started the first session of the class by bringing a lot of different herbs and ingredients that are commonly found in Mediterranean style cooking. The chef explained that Mediterranean cuisine is made up of different dishes from certain parts of Europe, Asia and Africa that all touch the Mediterranean Sea. He also expressed the importance of knowing the background and culture of the foods we eat. He told the class that when you write about food you should have prior knowledge about the history and part of the world the food comes from. “There is a reason that people in different areas of the world eat what they eat,” the chef explained.

As Chef Cates explained the diet of the Mediterranean people, he passed around samples of herbs that are found in the area - rosemary, oregano, basil, tarragon, thyme and parsley. He had quite a collection of spices that included cinnamon, cloves, cumin, coriander, garlic mint, citrus zests, and saffron.He told the class that cumin is a spice we might be familiar with that is commonly found in Mexican dishes. He noted that saffron is a very expensive spice , and can be used with poultry, seafood, rice and vegetables (a fun fact about saffron is that it turns the food it is paired with a rich yellow color). The chef also passed about dried fruits like raisins and prunes, as well as walnuts and almonds. As the items were passed around by the students, the chef explain what the people in the area would use them for.

During the second session of the class, the chef was prepared to show the class how to cook a Mediterranean main dish. On the menu was herb-crusted beef tenderloin medallions, which was accented with caramelized onions and roasted red bell peppers. The dish was finished with a deep cabernet demi sauce and topped with herbed goat cheese. Was the class in for a treat or what?

As Chef Cates prepared the meal, he made sure to explain each step so the class could learn the specific cooking terms. He demontrated how to do a Julienne chop, as well as how to use a pairing knife for precise cuts. He also provided the class with a list of cooking terms and definitions to take home with them so they could be sure to at least sound like they know what they are talking about when reviewing and writing about food.

As the meal was finished being prepared and the class came to a close, the students lined up for a few bites of the tasty meal the chef had prepared for them. Chef Cates is definitely a man who knows his way around the kitchen. Bon-a-petite!

Check out this video of Chef Cates cooking for the class!

A Different Restaurant Experience

October 11, 2011 Ericia Rains

Tables in the Culinary Cafe are properly set and wait for the first guests to arrive

The Department of Human Sciences is hosting a restaurant facility, Culinary Cafe, which opened to the public on Tuesday, Oct. 4, from noon to 1 p.m. in the College of Education Annex room 121.

The restaurant is part of two classes; the quantity classes, HMS 404 which handles the food preparation, and customer service classes, HMS 407, which servers and observes the guests.

The entire restaurant is student run with about 80 students, while professors oversee and help when needed. The quantity students have planned a menu with different styles of cuisine, from Asian, soul food, Italian and even country cooking.

The 404 class plans the meals weeks in advance, gets started on preparation the day before they are scheduled to cook, then the day of the event the students come in and cook the food to perfection. The food is ready by 11:30 so the service can begin right at noon. The 404 class handles everything in the kitchen from prep work to washing the dishes, explained Landon Headrick, Longview Senior.

The 407 class is going to be focusing serving the guests. They will come in and properly set the tables and get the front ready for guests. They will also serve the needs of the guests. In the 407 class, students will have roles such as managers, hostesses,servers, bussers and observers who will critique the otherstudents to help better the experience for everyone, said Cordero Chavira, Jacksonville Senior.

“We will greet you at the door then serve you using all the proper methods, while treating this as a fine dining restaurant,” said Chavira.

“We strive to provide the best quality food and service in Nacogdoches,” said Headrick. “We want people to enjoy themselves and comeback.”

According to Chay Runnels, assistant professor of Human Sciences, each guest will receive a three course meal prepared completely by students which includes an appetizer or a soup/salad, an entree and then a dessert. Everything is freshly prepared and comes from local businesses.

“Say you went to a local restaurant and paid $10 for a meal, well you are really getting a meal that cost the restaurant about $3,” said Runnels. “Well with us you are paying $10 and getting a meal that cost about $30, just because the way food cost work, this will be more of a fine dining experience.”

The classes are both hands-on learning labs for all the students involved and are time consuming said Chavira. He also explained how important it is to work as a team.

“This is more than a class grade, this helps give that real world experience, you can read all the books(,) but this gives more,” said Chavira. “This is fine tuning our hospitality service and going into detail on how to serve correctly and how to better understand why we do certain things certain ways.

“Team work is very important as well as communication, we have to continually communicate, if we didn’t work together as a team we would have lots of problems such as guests waiting on service or food waiting to be served,” said Chavira. “We could have confusion and disaster going on, so these two go together and you can’t have one with out the other.”

According to Runnels, this is a non-profit restaurant and the money which is received from ticket sales goes directly back to food costs.

Students are encouraged to step out of the dining box and try this new option, however some events are already sold-out. Runnels suggests getting tickets as early as possible.

“We are trying to promote a upscale feeling, we will have people from the community and faculity and staff coming in on their lunch breaks,” said Runnels.

To experience the food and atmosphere, guests must purchase a ticket. Tickets can be purchased by Stephanie Milford in the Human Sciences department, or by calling 936-468-4502. Tickets cost $10 per person, and seating is very limited. Food will be served on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until the first week in December.

To view upcoming events visit

www.facebook.com/pages/SFA-School-of-Human-Sciences for more info.

Healthy Lumberjack Lifestyle

October 10, 2011 Adrianna Rodrigues

Being healthy and fit is something that everyone is buzzing about these days. Between classes, homework and the everyday stresses that come with being a college student, sometimes taking care of your body gets pushed to the bottom of the list.

Almost everyone is concerned with the way they look, whether they will admit it or not. Guys and girls both want to look their best. Although working out and getting in shape might be good for the aesthetics, it is also good for your health.

At SFA, there are a lot of different activities and facilities that offer ways for students to stay in shape and be healthy. All students have to pay a recreation fee, so there is not an excuse to not take full advantage of the brand-new facility. The recreation center offers a large, full-service gym that has something for everyone. They have treadmills, bicycles, ellipticals, stair-climbers, weights, basketball, volleyball and racquetball courts, a pool, a rock wall and many more options to choose from. The recreation center also offers classes like yoga and aerobics that students can sign up for. For students who like to walk, jog or bike outside, there are trails that will take you all over campus and around Nacogdoches. There is a list and map of the trails on the rec center website. There are also different services that are offered to promote student fitness and health. For a list of services, schedules and events, check out the website www.sfasu.edu/campusrec .

A good way to get motivated to exercise is to work out with friends. It will be a lot more enjoyable, and they will be there to provide encouragement.

“It’s always more fun to go to the gym with someone rather than being by myself,” said Victoria Lampes, Houston junior. “I like to play sand volleyball or basketball with my friends. You get to work out while you are having fun.”

For students who like to play team sports, intramural sports are definitely a fun alternative to exercising. Soccer, softball, flag football, volleyball, basketball and racquetball are a few of the sports offered. Just get a team of friends together and sign up.

Most college students are always on the go, and eating healthy is not always the easiest or cheapest option. Although it is a lot easier to pick up a cheeseburger and fries, if students would just take a little time to learn what eating all of those fatty foods actually do to the body in the long-run, they might think twice and actually give eating healthier a try.

Ava Axen, Nacogdoches nursing student, had a lot to say about how exercise and healthy eating habits effect the body.

“I don’t think that many people realize how this all helps boost your own inner energy level, keeps your body in balance and is basically the key to being heart healthy,” said Axen.

Axen also stressed the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle. She said that being overweight and out of shape could cause problems like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and gout. She said that having a regular exercise routine and eating small, healthy meals every 4-5 hours works best.

Confused on what to eat? “Fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, peas, lentils, brown and wild rice and oatmeal are quality carbs to consume,” said Axen.

Axen said that soluble fiber is also a big bonus and is found in apples, pears, oranges, sweet potatoes, carrots and strawberries. Foods like fish, seafood, poultry, pork tenderloin, eggs, tofu and low-fat yogurt are a good way to get your daily protein. All of this may sound like a lot of trouble, but it will definitely pay off to make healthy foods part of your lifestyle.

Anyone can agree that getting a compliment is a total ego boost. As a student and a young adult, it is important to make a good impression on others. It is a proven fact that exercising a being healthy actually improves your mood and relieves stress. Bottom line: Get up and get moving! Feeling better and looking your best is easier than one might think, and all of the resources are literally right in front of you around campus.