Words like ‘free’ and ‘food’ tend to have college kids leaping for joy. So when the Kelly Dining Hall posted the dates for its annual Executive Chef’s Kitchen, students jumped in line.

According to Dawn Vilacci, customer advocate and contact person for the Executive Chef’s Kitchen, the program has been running for five years. The Faculty Student Association first planned this event after the dining facility was renovated. The FSA wanted ‘a place to showcase our chefs’hellip;so students can see them in their element,’ Vilacci said.

Michelle Mbekeani, a German language and political science major, came back to the program this year for the second time. ‘I went to a couple of demos last year,’ she said. Last year, she recalled the healthy foods demonstration as being the most useful. This year, she chose the Pumpkin Carving event on Oct. 29. ‘It’s such a festive event, and it goes well with the season’ Mbekeani said.

This was the first time the Executive Chef’s Kitchen offered a Pumpkin Carving program. Chef John Bell, a graduate of the Culinary Institute who works at Kelly, was placed in charge, and hollowed out a pumpkin for each student who signed up for the event.

Other programs, such as the healthy foods demonstration, give chefs the chance to interact with students who show an interest. ‘[The chefs] really are looking out for the students well being,’ Mbekeani said. She now lives in West Apartments, and said that tips from the Executive Chef’s Kitchen gave her tips on the ‘best ways to stay healthy, especially now that I have a kitchen.’

‘All students were able to attend the program for free because it is included as part of the perks of the meal plan,’ Vilacci said. ‘Students really love the demos because they get to learn healthy tips and eat great food that they might not normally have.”