57° Fort Worth
All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Students discuss religious topics in a small group. (Photo courtesy of tcuwesley.org)
Wednesday nights at TCU’s Methodist campus ministry provide religious exploration and fellowship
By Boots Giblin, Staff Writer
Published Mar 27, 2024
Students at the Wesley said they found community on Wednesday nights.

    Faculty and staff to compete in TCU WellnessGold Cooking Challenge

    Faculty+and+staff+to+compete+in+TCU+WellnessGold+Cooking+Challenge+

    The third annual TCU WellnessGold Cooking Challenge is providing camaraderie and entertainment for TCU’s faculty and staff.

    The challenge kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 19 at the Dee J. Kelly Alumni & Visitors Center. There is a Caribbean theme for this years challenge.

    “The competition is set up like Iron Chef,” said Anne VanBeber, department chair of nutritional sciences.

    Chancellor Victor Boschini is the master of the ceremony and Dr. David Upton, wellness manager, is the host.

    “[Boschini] is kind of a comedian,” VanBeber said. “He walks around the room for 30 minutes with a camera crew and talks to all the cooks.”

    This competition highlights the importance of taking care of one’s body. It has raised awareness and is a great community builder, Boschini said.

    “It gets you connected to other people and it’s fun,” Boschini said. “A lot of these member have stressful jobs and it’s fun to take a break for a few hours to do this.”

    The contestants are made up of WellnessGold members. There are four teams with three members on each team. The teams have 30 minutes to prepare a dish and present it to the judges.

    “[The teams] do not know until 30 minutes before the competition begins what the ingredients are that they have to work with,” Upton said. “They will have on their table the ingredients spread out along with microwave ovens and two toaster ovens that the teams have to share.”

    TCU juniors in the dietetics program with Dr. Lyn Dart, director of the food management program, will be at the competition to help advise the teams. 

    “The students also develop the ingredient list with Dr. Dart,” Upton said. “Dr. Dart has built this into the curriculum in one of her fall classes.”

    There are four general categories in the competition: best presentation (visual and oral), best teamwork, most creative and best taste. A final category was added this year: the grand champion. 

    “Team members win prizes based on what they have done,” Upton said.

    Only 120 faculty and staff can attend the event. 

    “We still have 30 people on the waitlist,” Upton said. “We can’t get any bigger that’s all the space we have in the Kelly Center.”

    The guests will receive a free catered themed meal, there will also be a Caribbean band at the event.

    Upton said the guests do not eat the food that is prepared in the competition. 

    “I tell the contestants to remember they are the entertainment,” Upton said. “One hundred and twenty people have come to watch you perform, so have fun.”

    A lesson people can learn from attending this event is that “we” function better as a team than “we” do as an individual, Upton said. 

    “TCU has a philosophy that allows this type of creative event to exist,” Upton said. “I am very grateful for that opportunity.”