Students from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences recently gave seniors in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood a lovingly prepared luncheon as part of an early Thanksgiving program. WGN-TV noted that this yearly feast is a custom that enables students to showcase their culinary prowess to the community. Local senior Marlene Sullivan highlighted the event’s importance by saying, “It is the highlight of the year.” For seniors, it’s the best event they host. This is the big one, this is it. As Sullivan remarked, “It’s wonderful, it restores my faith that the youth of today are still on the right track,” further solidifying the bond between the two generations.
There are two benefits to hosting the dinner: social and instructive. The Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences offers its pupils the rare chance to learn in a setting that includes the city’s sole operational farm. Senior Noah Howe-Bowen stated, “It’s definitely more of, like, an interactive environment than most culinary schools and colleges would be, because we’re in smaller classes, and our teachers know us personally, they’ve known us for a while.” The school’s layout permits a hands-on approach to learning.WGN-TV also covered the planning that goes into this historic occasion, such as the fact that admission was only $5 and that extra money was donated to the neighborhood food bank.
CBS News Chicago added more details about the day’s preparations to WGN-TV’s coverage. The quick and somewhat surreal transition from farm to table was discussed by Senior Nylah Robinson, who added the crucial step: “and the next thing you know, like we have them delivered to us.” Robinson said, “It’s really a surreal experience, honestly, because I remember like just last week, the turkeys were literally in their pens just like playing around, like walking around, like making noise.”
Raising the turkeys, roasting them, and making sides like sweet potatoes, pumpkin pies, gravy, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and cranberry sauce required a lot of work from the youngsters. However, there was something far more significant than the sum of its parts that supported this diligent effort. Egypt West, a senior as well, told CBS News Chicago that the meal they prepare is about the community getting together and is about more than just food. “I understand the real world, we might have our ups and downs, but actually giving back and seeing those happy, smiling faces and saying, ‘Thank you,’ or ‘Oh, you’re such a sweetheart,’ just hearing everybody being cheerful and coming together as one is like one of the main things I really want to take away from this,” West said when describing the impact of this gathering. Local chef Michelle Sandifer, who helped the kids, emphasized the skills they had learned in areas like sauce thickening and zesting.
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